TWO COUPLES
from GROUP PORTRAIT
by Karl Young

they say black     looking forward     raven black     leaning toward her    
is the     his face     hair parted     his hair particularly    
hardest color     is framed     in the middle     that of his beard has
to dye hair     generic brown hair     hangs down     grayed in the manner    
and as     that seems     to her waist     of brown hair    
hers has     to flow     the black hair         a slow transition    
grayed it's     into his beard     he associates     that carries on    
done so in     even the frames     with the     almost unnoticed    
shades almost     of his glasses     black rose     his glasses    
pulling     join the masses     of the     bring out    
a rainbow out     of hair the     Spanish Anarchists     the eyes    
of its darkness     features of frames     instead of    
the wire granny     his face     the copper skin     hiding them    
glasses make     are not     of her Yucatec     wide eyes    
her eyes shine     particularly     ancestors     a bit naive    
brighter not     compelling     the flat nose     of the poet    
only catching     with the     you can see     and mystic    
other eyes but     possible     on some of     fixed on    
also radiating     exception     the sculptures     other worlds    
the odd wisdom     of the     not the beaks     on visions    
and quirkiness of     large forehead     of the Classic     so sharp they're    
the curandera     the face     but the kind     hard to share    
and the natural     seems pretty     that lead     in part because    
healing that     much generic     some to believe     they're so basic    
works as much     Scandinavian     the Mayans came     so free of guile    
by the character     his glasses     from China     or cleverness    
of the     hide his eyes     the high arch     forever skinny    
practitioner     but the tilt     frames of the     dieting at times    
as anything     of the head the     huge eyes     to gain weight    
in the plants     confident     that light up     and perhaps    
the fans of     smile     the enormous     to make up    
wrinkles brought the casual posture     smile in this     for rounds    
on by a smile     right hand on     picture open     of fasts    
and the shine     knee suggests     inquisitive     for health    
in the cheeks     more character     the eyes of     for the spirit    
may come from     it might imply     an advocate     for causes
a lot of time     comfort and     who looks for     usually lost ones    
spent outdoors     generosity     every detail     the best kind    
and may have     something     not just to     for which to    
deepened the     appropriate     record but to     sacrifice    
wrinkles make     for a young     act on when     pulls the skin    
her teeth look     poet with     possible despite     tight over    
brighter and     experience of     the restraints     the cheeks    
give shape     many day-jobs     placed on her     and forehead    
to the chin     to his credit     by the odd     so completely WASP    
pulled smooth     a closer look     binds and     it effaces itself    
by the broad     might suggest     strange pressures     in the context of
smile she     commitment     of mainstream     those around them    
makes the     to the slow     journalism     but complements    
simple print     working out     lips still full     the features    
dress look     of social     despite the     given her by    
elegant partly     alternatives     stretch of the     ancestors from    
with the white     this sunny     smile although     Ireland and Mexico    
half-gloves     portrait doesn't     she seems     the smile    
but more by     suggest his     profoundly     remains broad    
the unaffected     manic depressive     relaxed you     open as the eyes    
poise in the     disorder or the     can also see     the suit that    
way she sits     obdurate in her bearing     doesn't really fit    
the way she     stubbornness     how quickly     doesn't look funny    
moves her head     that may     she could fly     in part because    
and hands     also be part     into action     of the natural grace    
the straw hat     of Swedish     how much     that passes so easily    
on her knee     heritage she     energy rests     between them    
large leaves     holds his     in that     without knowing it    
sway in the breeze     left hand     small     both their hands    
by her side     between hers     body     make the same gesture