History in Art

Maggie Devers

My husband tells me I have a twentieth century ass

And that’s a type of poem.

Rubens put touches of red on his angels' rears,

Literally rogue on cheeks

And I feel that’s what this world is missing—

More blushed bottoms

More naked debauchery

More holy stories

We laugh out loud at some of the babies,

Old man newborn is forever the haha trope,

The mortality, ever life, after life, reincarnation, universal oneness

Created for us by some Flemish dude

Appeasing his benefactor.

Before time’s up

And we walk down the mountain back to life.

More from Maggie Devers ↓

• Read my debut poetry book, For My Daughter
• Follow me on Instagram for more poetry @rembrandts.cure