Take away my beauty
and my youth.
Turn my hair gray,
bend my back towards the ground,
cover me with wrinkles,
and make my breasts sag.
Let my whole body wither
like a tree during a drought.
Make the prince who desires me
recoil when he glimpses
the full horror of time-ravaged flesh.
So that I might be left alone
to study as I please,
take away my beauty
and my youth.
~Bill Wolak
Bill Wolak has just published his fourth book of poetry, Warming the Mirror, with The Feral Press. He is currently working on a translation of the Italian poet Annelisa Addolorato with Maria Bennett. Mr. Wolak teaches Creative Writing at William Paterson University in New Jersey.