Poem: Ancestry

How can I tell you
        that my ancestors are soap,
        that I’m descended from soap,

and every morning in the shower
        they melt in my hands
        and run from my body,

and that as hard as I’ve tried
        there’s nothing to hold onto,
        nothing that won’t rub away.

Originally published in “Sublimation Point,” Four Way Books (2004).

Jason Schneiderman is the author of the books “Sublimation Point” and “Striking Surface.” He is an assistant professor of English at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY.