Three for Thursday, Part 2 - Lauren Whitehead on the Tattooed Poets Project

As mentioned in an earlier post today (here), today we are celebrating three poets with three linked tattoos:

We already celebrated Mariama Lockington's poem (and tattoo) in the previous post, and Molly Raymor's will appear later today.

In case you missed the previous post, the tattoo was inspired by this photo of Mariama on Vencie Beach in L.A.:

The three poets are inextricably linked by their friendship and shared tattoo.

This post features the poem from Lauren Whitehead (pictured on the right, above):

we three bitches

three cheers for my bad bitches, spread out wide

at the public library table with books & pens & bold

patterned pencil skirts split up the back, spines

stretched long, fully reading for the gods. holy

& holy & holy, amen for my bottom bitches, writing

it all down right now, stacking shelf after shelf

with palm sized notebooks, thick with pretty wisdoms

& perfect elegies for the women we should have been.

three battle stars for these sergeants, crafting in chaos,

reciting her saints, pulling through like prayer beads

after hauling all her baggage back & forth across

landmass, skirting whirlpools & mantraps, unlearning

over & again all the petty wishes of a dying class.

three survivals in a winter place for each one

of my madwomen, making mistakes & keeping

receipts. cussing out when cussed at. throwing hands

at whoever hands need be thrown at, a thoroughbred

stance in grey patent leather slingbacks. clap it back

for my bridesmaids. my believe me bitches. my loyalists

& keepsake queens with their pressed petals & wind

chimes & precious stones grabbed up at low tide, hung

like armor around their wrists & necks. rare jewels

for all my heavies. just jewels upon jewels upon glitter

upon gleam, draped over each titty in every color

of her flag, shine for these bitches, fluent in multiple

Englishes, translating tarot cards & star charts & every

brand of fuck shit some fool might think to speak

into her yard. three charms for these hungry witches,

my seal a spell with a salt bath bitties, old poem

on a postcard hoes, old open palm in the dark ass tricks,

sipping tea & reading leaves & sitting back sometimes,

just not saying shit. keep it quiet for my humble woes,

slinking through a dance floor like snakes in high grass,

untouchable bitches, thrifty chicks making earrings

out of everything, every bad lover, every bad look,

every unforgivable intention. a wash, a wash, a wash

on all your houses. three rings for all your fingers. three

orisha in the morning singing sweet songs outside

your window. oh wonders, oh royals, you imperfect

gods, three burnings for your birthdays. three alters

facing west. three mantras of your names in every river

when i arrive. three Frida’s holding hands. three gardenia

for each ear. three wishes for you sisterfriends: all your

worries ribbon tied to the foot of a black bird flown

away, away, away. every unworthy out through

one well earned door. & these two hands. these only

two hands i have to offer. two hands & two wrists

at your back, by your side, skin to skin, for always.

~ ~ ~

Lauren Whitehead is a writer, performer, and MFA recipient in dramaturgy (Columbia University). She writes in several forms including poetry, nonfiction, and drama. Her work has been published in Apogee, Winter Tangerine, HEArt Online, and in selected anthologies. She has performed in venues around the country, notably: The Apollo Theater and The Kennedy Center. She is a Sundance Theater Lab Fellow and she teaches advanced playwriting and dramaturgy at The New School. More info: laurenawhitehead.com

Thanks to Lauren (and Molly and Mariama) for sharing their poems and tattoos with us here on The Tattooed Poets Project on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2018 Tattoosday. The poems and tattoos are reprinted with the poet's permission.

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