Paula Harris
self-portrait as Prince’s high-heeled boots, circa Purple Rain
there must be voodoo involved
to keep white boots white like that
on a motorbike
pair me with high-waisted tight pants
pair me with oversized round mirrored sunglasses
pair me with Apollonia
I will be sexier for being near Wendy and Lisa
I will be stronger for being near Wendy and Lisa
I will be iridescent for being near Wendy and Lisa
let me be purple
let me be snakeskin
polish me til I blind the crowds with my shine
dress me with a cheeky smile
dress me with a white Cloud guitar
dress me with heavy amounts of eyeliner and hairspray
I am darling Nikki
I am the source of men’s masturbation fantasies
I walk across their longing bodies
if you believe in purple coats and white ruffled shirts
you will hear me strut across them
if you believe in bare chested and sweaty
you will hear me strut across them
if you believe that guitars can weep
you will hear me strut across them
if you believe that hearing Prince perform Creep will change your life
you will hear me strut across it
if you believe in love
you will hear me strut across it
there must be voodoo involved
to keep white boots white like that
on a motorbike
pair me with high-waisted tight pants
pair me with oversized round mirrored sunglasses
pair me with Apollonia
I will be sexier for being near Wendy and Lisa
I will be stronger for being near Wendy and Lisa
I will be iridescent for being near Wendy and Lisa
let me be purple
let me be snakeskin
polish me til I blind the crowds with my shine
dress me with a cheeky smile
dress me with a white Cloud guitar
dress me with heavy amounts of eyeliner and hairspray
I am darling Nikki
I am the source of men’s masturbation fantasies
I walk across their longing bodies
if you believe in purple coats and white ruffled shirts
you will hear me strut across them
if you believe in bare chested and sweaty
you will hear me strut across them
if you believe that guitars can weep
you will hear me strut across them
if you believe that hearing Prince perform Creep will change your life
you will hear me strut across it
if you believe in love
you will hear me strut across it
Paula Harris lives in Aotearoa/New Zealand, where she writes and sleeps in a lot, because that's what depression makes you do. She won the 2018 Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize and the 2017 Lilian Ida Smith Award. Her writing has been published in various journals, including Hobart, Berfrois, The Rialto, Barren, SWWIM, Diode, Glass, Aotearotica and The Spinoff. She is extremely fond of dark chocolate, shoes and hoarding fabric. website: www.paulaharris.co.nz | Twitter: @paulaoffkilter | Instagram: @paulaharris_poet | Facebook: @paulaharrispoet