Read

"Clothe the Naked"

Published:
January 9, 2024
April 8, 2019
Read this poem titled "Clothe the Naked" about the speaker's encounter with the homeless on a street side.|Read this poem titled "Clothe the Naked" about the speaker's encounter with the homeless on a street side.|"Clothe the Naked"

"Clothe the Naked"

I try not to stare.Your vulnerability makes mevulnerable.Your nakedness reminds methat under my dress,matching bra and panties,is a body I try to hide,a body of secrets. You scrub the bar over your chest,suds trickle over ribs,the fire hydrant spraying waterfor your makeshift shower,five feet from my car. I am both intruderand victim,exposedand in the showerwith you –I want to help you,wash you clean,yet your nakednessmakes meuncomfortableas if I too am nakedon edge of the E Street Expressway. I want to leave my car,hold up a blanket,shield you from eyes, tryingnot to see— Am I shielding you?Or am I shielding us? Our bodies uncomfortablewith our own nakedness,staring at buildings, screens,the bumper in front of uswilling the red to green— so once you fade into distancewe can forgetyou live in tentsunder the E Street Expressway—forgetyou bathe with watersiphoned from a fire hydrant,forgetyou are a person. We, your brothers and sisters,deny our own bodyas we denythe existenceof you.

Creators:
Barbara Lisette
Published:
January 9, 2024
April 8, 2019
On a related note...
"Spring Cleaning"

"Spring Cleaning"

Samantha Yee

3 Reasons I Keep Making Catholic Pilgrimages

3 Reasons I Keep Making Catholic Pilgrimages

Elise Italiano

Go Vote! | #GrottoMusic

Go Vote! | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Voice Actor Leaves Small Town to Pursue Passion

Voice Actor Leaves Small Town to Pursue Passion

Grotto

Baking Cakes for Kids with Life-Threatening Illnesses

Baking Cakes for Kids with Life-Threatening Illnesses

Grotto

Married Saints for Newlyweds To Look Up To

Married Saints for Newlyweds To Look Up To

Molly Cruitt

Free Download: Grotto's Guide to Lakeview

Free Download: Grotto's Guide to Lakeview

Grotto, Jennon Bell Hoffman

The Bergamot Sings 'Remember this December' | #SeekChristmas

The Bergamot Sings 'Remember this December' | #SeekChristmas

Grotto

Good and Decent EP 23: Free Listening

Good and Decent EP 23: Free Listening

Grotto

The Magic of Mythical Storytelling

The Magic of Mythical Storytelling

Jacqueline Rose

Grotto's Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

Grotto's Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

Grotto

Providing a Home Through Dance

Providing a Home Through Dance

Grotto

The Gift of Growing Up ‘Different’

The Gift of Growing Up ‘Different’

Grant Hartley

Meditating on the Magic of Belonging

Meditating on the Magic of Belonging

Hanna Van Elk

Can Poetry Teach Us to Love the World — Even When It’s So Broken?

Can Poetry Teach Us to Love the World — Even When It’s So Broken?

Josh Noem

Inventor Creates Furniture Out of Recycled Materials

Inventor Creates Furniture Out of Recycled Materials

Grotto

What I Believe About the Things I Tell Myself

What I Believe About the Things I Tell Myself

Anna White

What 36 Hours on the Streets of Chicago Taught Me

What 36 Hours on the Streets of Chicago Taught Me

Rick Becker

This Baker Takes Artisan to a New Level

This Baker Takes Artisan to a New Level

Grotto

Voices of Synod 2018 | Christina DiSalvo

Voices of Synod 2018 | Christina DiSalvo

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.