Notes from an art school project, titled “Guts” circa 1983
Oesophagus, Stomach — flesh-coloured satin
Pancreas — textured yellow
Gallbladder — green
Liver — purple satin
Small Intestine — 20 feet white tubular satin, stuffed
Large Intestine, Rectum — flesh-coloured satin, gathered
Heart — heart-shaped red velvet pillow, white feather-trimmed
suspended above
October 11, 2013 The Hawk Queen Bed 10:50pm
I took off My Purple Sweater
& laid It in the laundry basket
nestled around My Big Black Cat Astro
I saw The Colour Purple
next to My Cat’s Blackness
& saw My Giant Satin Lips again
that Monument To Sex I sewed & stuffed
for a Cooper Union sculpture class —
body-length zippered pillows I presented
dressed in Black, I kicked off My High heels
butted out a cigarette
unzipped My Fierce Creation
& climbed in
sunk unseen down inside The Fuchsia Lips
zipped back up
Joanna Gilman Hyde 