Elegy
Francesca Woodman (1958–1981)
The floor is littered with clothes I once wore
I have come apart at the seams
Even the broken-winged fly is used for bait
Even the matted cat is used for bait
Even the dying child is used for bait
Even the sun going down is used for bait
Even the failed musician is used for bait
Someone is yes and someone is no
Now you know everything
Used with the permission of the author.
Emily Fragos
Emily Fragos is the author of several poetry collections: Cat, Dog, and Bird Songs (Sheep Meadow Press, 2023), cowritten with Stanley Moss; Unrest: 23 New and 45 Present Past Poems (Sheep Meadow Press, 2021); Saint Torch (Sheep Meadow Press, 2017); Hostage: New & Selected Poems (Sheep Meadow Press, 2011); and Little Savage (Grove Press, 1996). She has served as the editor of seven pocket poetry series anthologies published by Everyman’s Library.