If I ask about childhood which story will you pull from that enormous purse? Will you tell it in English, en espanol, or en francais? I'll understand, the way I know it is easier to invent and reinvent self, a husband waiting on each coast, checkbooks with different last names, and neither naming you theirs in the end. She laughs at my need for precision, shuffles her lies in a box. Such beautiful handwriting for each fiction. I can see tulips teased open under those fingertips-- not forced; stroked open, coaxed before their time and willing. Nothing is fixed, she says, it is all mutable, and you can't catch me no matter how much you read, just remember the beauty. And I do, wondering was it Rupert or Hugh, Henry or June you loved most, simultaneously and at what cost, or were you so borrowed French you reveled in each love and every loss equally? How did they know which coast or cliff to finally float your ashes over-- the fineness you became still blurring lines and defying definition, as your particles, like the truth you owned, bone-deep dispersed on wind and water, some on sand, penetrating all elements of your erasure, except light. I still don't get an answer, her penciled eyebrows fallen parentheses still circling tight the words she won't say.
My attempt at character interaction. can you guess who this is?
Susan Daniels Poetry 
oh i’m curious who she is but i don’t know…love the penciled eyebrows
like fallen parentheses…ha..the tulips teased open… she sounds like quite the character..laughing at the need for precision…re-inventing the self again and again..ha…still pondering..
Claudia–thanks! One of the most fascinating women who lived, in my opinion 😉
Natalie Wood maybe. Just a guess, my history here is not as deep. But this reads very well, in fact very well, and it kept me reading to find out who had such a life as you described. I will be checking back to find out.
Oh, Henry, thank you. Nope, not Natalie, but a good guess. She is a little older than Natalie.
Nothing is fixed, she says,
it is all mutable, and you can’t catch me
no matter how much you read, just remember
the beauty….i love that…that we dont have to know or understand them completely…we never will, but we can still find beauty…it is a philosophy for life…love the coaxing open of the flower as well…it shows patience….cool…not sure who but will look forward to finding out…smiles.
Oh, I am so glad you liked this. The tulips refers to something she is rather famous for.
WHat a wonderful riddle… and I can not guess who this fascinating lady is…
Bjorn, thank you. I loved her–and those words describe her to a T.
Françoise Sagan ;-P
🙂 Nope.
Lovely poem. Virginia?
Good guess, but no.
Oh if only we could put the pieces together in the lie box…read the stories…hear the voice one more time.
Oh, yes. i wish we could.
No idea, but a fascinating poem!
Mary, thank you!
I can’t work her out either – what a fascinating tease!
Thanks, Holly! I was thinking I might need to add another hint in there, but it would not be fair to others who have already guessed.
Well, I am stumped, but I love the poem all the same. And I hope you will reveal her identity after a bit to satiate my curiosity! I especially loved that last stanza, just haunting and beautiful.
Kelly, thank you, and I will!
No, I don’t know either. But your poem has such an enigmatic quality, I’m kinda happy not knowing (curiosity will tempt me back to find out though).
Audrey Hepburn made flour from tulip bulbs & she did have straight across eyebrows, ever as painted as they may have been even in her youth; not sure she fits the trilingual part of your riddle, however…
Rowan, thank you!
Lindy, I never knew that about AH. Nope, not her.
Great poem Susan, and one of my favorite poets!! :Kiss me and you’ll know how important I am” ??? My guess anyway.
Nope, not Sylvia…but I love her too!
Love the poem but have been wracking my brain but can’t think… can’t wait to find out!
Di–when do you think I should spill the beans?
Oh I don’t know but I keep think she’s Spanish, French and speaks English??? It’s intriguing…it’s morning here so I’ll have a coffee and get my thinking cap on!
🙂 yes, one of her many, many ambiguities. Anais Nin.
OMG!!! I love her too! Well… so cool Susan! 🙂
Thanks–one of my favorite people.
Ah Sylvia, who is she?
spilling now, Anais Nin.
Aha!!!! 🙂
🙂
here:
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRn4NV85RGnY5NB_uGKvedXVNNC1oE6SwqJeh92IxDU0ypzzQM5
Now that I have spilled the beans on Anais, I can edit the poem! Yes!
A great hymn to this vibrant free spirit – “the fineness you became… defying definition” and any sense of ownership too. An inspiring writer and great choice for a chat!
Scptt, thank you! I am so fascinated by Nin’s life, not to mention her writing.
I wouldn’t have been able to guess, but I love this idea of a riddle for us to solve! Now I’ll have to go to that link and learn more about Anais Nin.
Oh, that’s just a pic. There are lots of articles online to read about her, though.
ah. i knew. i promise! “or were you so borrowed french?” just got me. i love this.
Cool! I am glad you liked that line. Says so much…
I’m adverse to guesswork, but nice piece of writing.
Thanks, Nelle. It was for/about Anais Nin–I had to spill the beans, but glad you liked the poem!
I didn’t even know who she was… had to go hunting.
Oh, you would love reading her!
circling tight the words she won’t say…
amazing line… = )
Oh, Patricia, thank you!
Yeah, I knew it was Anais (no, I didn’t really!)
🙂 Next time I will be ‘way more obvious, I promise!
Wow..I was unable to guess..I plead ignorance…for me she was a long ago history lesson, so I will have to look her up…also wasn’t there a perfume named after her???
Yes, there was a perfume named after her, Anais Anais, one that a boyfriend bought me, without even trying it, because he was trying to make points with me, by the name alone.
Lovely, wonderful writer and beautiful woman 😉
Sisyphus, thank you so much! Also thanking you for the tweet.
You are one clever gal Susan. Wonderful. Not to be redundant but I loved the eyebrow line too!!
Audra, thanks! Not redundant at all, I am glad you guys like that line.
Good visual 🙂
I have to admit I only ever read her journals (which are fascinating), so am not sure how good she was as a writer. Yes, I would have lots of questions to ask of her as well.
Marina, I agree that on the basis of those diaries alone, she would have been worth talking to.
Now that was a tough one and I’m glad it’s out there and grateful I had a lot of company. This makes me want to read a biography and her work. Tantalizing poem, tantalizing subject.
Thank you, Victoria–and you should. The woman is magical.
absolutely breathtaking, Susan! Anais Nin is one of my favorites as well.
Stacy, thank you! To write about her, I had to pull out all the stops 😉