Men look at her naked, when she
does not know they are watching;
they can look at her naked even
when she is dressed and far away,
long after the painting is done.
One man looks at her naked, and
buys her for his coffee-shop wall,
where other men will see her naked,
day after night after day. One day,
walking by the coffee-shop, she sees
last year’s nakedness on the far wall,
through the window’s reflection of
this year’s clothed body. Several
months later she walks past again
and sees men, young men, still
looking at her naked. She smiles
to think how long it will be before
her oily skin cracks and splotches.
She does not return to observe
the men looking at her naked.