Sestina for my far too beautiful self

I look far too beautiful
to travel on buses. This is what people
say when I am travelling on buses looking far too
beautiful. People I don’t know, not even
through a friend, stop me in the street and say
hello sweetheart, darling

don’t you want a boyfriend darling?
I don’t reply because I am far too beautiful
not now, not know I am busy walking, I say.
Some people
By some I mean many, say I walk beautifully, even
models, they envy me too.

They are too
jealous to speak when they see my hair, sweety-darling
how do you do it? My hair is perfect. Even
artists who I don’t know, stop me and say: beautiful,
bello, bellissimo! There are a small number of people
who don’t like me. But they are not beautiful. I would say

they are ignorant if they asked me, but I say
nothing because I don’t speak to
ugly people.
We have nothing in common darling.
I met a woman who told me I was beautiful,
she is beautiful and we are not even

related. People ask if we are sisters. Even
my mother doubts my father when she sees us. I say
mother dear don’t be so dreary. My mother is not beautiful.
But my father is like me, far too beautiful too.
He is an absolute darling.
Not one of those people,

the kind of people
Who don’t let their daughters have things, even
things they can afford but are far too dreary to buy darling.
I have other beautiful friends who take me in their beautiful cars and sometimes say
ugly things, but then beautiful things about my hair and handwriting which is perfect too
they say ugly things beautifully so they are beautiful.

The really beautiful people,
even me, think ugly things too
but don’t say them, they’re ladies darling, unlike you.