Pink Leotard

by Lucy Sage


He taught figure drawing.
His pastel pastels as beautiful 
As he was. 

Long hair flowed
Around his soft face,
A kind man.

Once, I modeled
For his Tuesday morning class.
A pink leotard
Offered modesty.
He liked the aesthetic.
I liked his attention.

He married Judy
Who had lived in the apartment
Above mine.
I ran into Judy years later.
They had children,
Were poor,
But happy. 
I was single and childless.
 
Years later, 
She took a job 
In the office
Where I worked.
They were divorced.
She said he was mentally ill. 
 
Many years later
I was serving 
A free breakfast
At our church.
I was surprised
To see him in line to be seated.

He must have been
Living in the street.
He had no shame.
For that
I was relieved.


* * * * *

Lucy Sage began writing poetry at a young age. Born in Philadelphia, she subsequently lived in the Philippines and Nigeria while her father worked for the United Nations. She attended boarding school in England in the mid-sixties but dropped out in 1969 to live in San Francisco. After waitressing and finally earning her degrees, she worked for politicians for 30 years. In addition to poetry, she enjoys riding her bike, painting, walking with her dog, and exploring cities.