A Goddess
She cannot come all the way
She comes as far as water no further
She comes with the birth push
Into eyelashes into nipples the fingertips
She comes as far as blood and to the tips of hair
She comes to the fringe of voice
She stays
Even after life even among the bones
She comes singing she cannot manage an instrument
She comes too cold afraid of clothes
And too slow with eyes wincing frightened
When she looks into wheels
She comes sluttish she cannot keep house
Sha can just keep clean
She cannot count she cannot last
She comes dumb she cannot manage words
She brings petals in their nectar fruits in their plush
She brings a cloak of feathers an animal rainbow
She brings her favourite furs and these are her speeches
She has come amorous it is all she has come for
If there had been no hope she would not have come
And there would have been no crying in the city
(There would have been no city)
She comes as far as water no further
She comes with the birth push
Into eyelashes into nipples the fingertips
She comes as far as blood and to the tips of hair
She comes to the fringe of voice
She stays
Even after life even among the bones
She comes singing she cannot manage an instrument
She comes too cold afraid of clothes
And too slow with eyes wincing frightened
When she looks into wheels
She comes sluttish she cannot keep house
Sha can just keep clean
She cannot count she cannot last
She comes dumb she cannot manage words
She brings petals in their nectar fruits in their plush
She brings a cloak of feathers an animal rainbow
She brings her favourite furs and these are her speeches
She has come amorous it is all she has come for
If there had been no hope she would not have come
And there would have been no crying in the city
(There would have been no city)
Ted Hughes, "Crow's Undersong" in Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow
*Ok, I have to accept it, Ted Hughes is great. Some people think this poem reduces womanhood to bits of life, but I think it is much deeper than that. This is not about limitations but about modes, ways of being. Without the goddess there's no city.
*I'm ill. The doctor calls it somatisation. At least I can speak again, but I'm rather dizzy. I hate medicine. Besides, I just woke up and I'm sleepy once again :S
*Ahhhh. People's behaviour in this neighbourhood is strange. I can't trust their kindness, some of them had never talked to me before. No, I didn't see Citripiox on t.v. Why should I? I see him every single day at home. Ohhh, and no, it doesn't mean we have any money. Gosh, it's disgusting.
*I'm ill. The doctor calls it somatisation. At least I can speak again, but I'm rather dizzy. I hate medicine. Besides, I just woke up and I'm sleepy once again :S
*Ahhhh. People's behaviour in this neighbourhood is strange. I can't trust their kindness, some of them had never talked to me before. No, I didn't see Citripiox on t.v. Why should I? I see him every single day at home. Ohhh, and no, it doesn't mean we have any money. Gosh, it's disgusting.
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