You were born
between
the Kennedy
assassination

and the Manson
murders,
but first
came the death

of Marilyn
Monroe,
born
the same year

as your mother
(1926)
and before 
that, Marilyn’s

birthday
song to JFK.
Marilyn
took diuretics  

and laxatives
to fit into
that fabulous
dress;  

nevertheless,
she was ab-
solutely
beautiful—

either entirely
in black—
or in white
and barefoot.