red poppies pierce the dense scent
of unused sky lingering through
the decay of books and flesh
sunburned arms pour into callused
fingers attached to coils of twine —
Clean Monday kites
holidays find little ankles
with frilly white socks
laced tightly in patent leather
men in olive groves
in search of breath & heirs
belong to Clean Mondays
Argy Koutsothanasis is a poet and creative director based in Queens, New York. She is the great-niece of Markos Vamvakaris, the father of Greek rebetiko music, and descends from a family of artists rooted in Syros — her great-grandfather was a poet. After two decades in fashion and sports media, she is returning to poetry and completing her first manuscript.
