Self-Portrait 1

^{translated from the Danish by Jennifer Russell and Sophia Hersi Smith}

I cannot:
cook
pull off a hat
entertain company
wear jewellery
arrange flowers
remember appointments
send thank-you cards
leave the right tip
hold onto a man
feign interest
at parent-teacher meetings.

I cannot
stop:
smoking
drinking
eating chocolate
stealing umbrellas
oversleeping
forgetting to remember
birthdays
and to clean my nails
telling people
what they want to hear
spilling secrets
loving
strange places
and psychopaths.

I can:
be alone
do the dishes
read books
make sentences
listen
and be happy
without feeling guilty.