Crab-Angel

Mina Loy

1882 to 1966

Poem Image

           An atomic sprite
perched on a polished
           monster-stallion
reigns over Ringling's   revolving
trinity   of circus attractions

Something the contour
of a captured crab
waving its useless pearly claws

From a squat body
pigmy arms
and bow legs
with their baroque calves
curve in a bi-circular attitude
to a ballerina's exstacy

An effigy of Christmas Eves
smile-cast among chrysanthemum curls
it seems a sugar angel
while from a rose flecked ruff of gauze
its manly legs
stamp    on the vast rump of the horse

An iridescent speck
dripped from a rainbow
onto an ebony cloud

Crab-Angel   I christen you
minnikin of masquerade sex
Helen of Lilliput?
Hercules in a powder puff?

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