by Lucille Clifton (1936 - 2010)
A Woman Who Loves Impossible Men
Language: English
a woman who loves impossible men sits a long time indoors watching her windows she has no brother who understands where she is not going her sisters offer their own breasts up, full and creamy vessels but she cannot drink because she loves impossible men a woman who loves impossible men listens at night to music she cannot sing she drinks good sherry swallowing around the notes rusted in her throat but she does not fill she is already full of love for impossible men a woman who loves impossible men promises each morning that she will take this day in her hands disrobe it lie with it learn to love it but she doesn’t she walks by strangers walks by kin forgets their birthmarks their birthdays remembers only the names the stains of impossible men.
Text Authorship:
- by Lucille Clifton (1936 - 2010), "A Woman Who Loves Impossible Men" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Dolores White (1932 - 2023), "A Woman Who Loves Impossible Men", copyright © 2003 [ soprano and piano ], from Eight Art Songs [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-01-29
Line count: 35
Word count: 136