I screw the lid tight
and turn over the bottle to read its base.
'Femme'
An agèd burgundy,
blackcurrant stains,
rich claret hues;
smooth, even, symmetrical.
Perfect, perfection.

Tomorrow I shall wash dishes,
clean floors
and one nail will break
and flake off
and split;
then two nails
and even three.

But tonight
I read the colour 'Femme'
and I know that

with these nails
this woman could conquer the world.