Sarah Larsen – Bones and Ribbons

Curated By Ralph

"The Road Not Taken" is a source of inspiration for me, because it encourages me to seize opportunities and chart my own course in life.

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Sarah Larsen, performing “Bones and Ribbons”

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Bones Ribbons waterfalls waterfalls bone flash Flash ribbon bone when i say the word Ribbon i mean bone I mean the way my body strings bones Together when i say bones i mean what Holds me up i mean my feet i mean my Spine i mean you i mean me i mean my Voice but it kind of seems like i've Been waking up every morning with no Voice spending the whole day trying to Teach myself how to speak again i mean It feels like i can't speak But i can speak i'm just afraid to so i Memorize poems because they feel like Prayer When i say prayer i mean my relationship With god is a long story that mostly has To do with people and not speaking also Noted secrets but i mean i guess i also Learned how to speak eventually because When i say once spent years learning how To draw a face I'm talking about where the ears go in Relationship to the eyes how to know how Far apart the eyes are how to measure The mouth using the nose using the Center of the eyes how the eyelashes sit Where the hairline starts how the hair Grows in an eyebrow what i mean is I'm studying your face I learned to study what i drew i would Draw my lover's body the exact shape of Her hips how her belly fell to the bed

How her neck became her shoulders how Her arms reached below her how the Shadows tucked into her chest and her Skin our skin folded with the highlights How the highlights that brighten her Hair what i mean is I'm always preparing to remember what Will be lost the same way i can still Remember where all the freckles go on Someone else's skin when i say Waterfalls i mean overwhelmed When i say overwhelmed i mean i plan an Escape route for every building i ever Enter i want to say depressed but not Use the word depressed i don't want you To picture me naked picking apart my Body of ribbons like i'm making a wish On every single one and when i say Ribbon i mean bone And i used to count the bones i could Feel under my skin like ice formed on Top of rocks like my body was a ribbon And i don't want to say the word for That but I'll say hungry When i say hungry i mean wishing I mean wish when i say wish i mean you i Mean me i mean your body once pressed Into mind i mean a woman's body once Pressed into mind i mean i don't pray About it I mean she might pray about it but when I say pray i also mean i memorize poems The way i memorized her freckles when i

Say memorize i mean studied when i say Studied i mean kiss i mean when i close My eyes i don't see darkness You i mean me i mean us i mean we know How scared of the dark i am how i always Need a flashlight when i say flash i Mean i still mean you i mean i miss you And the silence is silent it means Nothing But quiet and the dark is really dark And when i say ribbon i mean bone I mean the way my body strings Memories together and i'm just working For what i need to hold myself up [Applause]

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