The Wife Beater's Wife
Sometimes, when no one is looking, she looks
Disjointed, fingers carefully contemplate
Braille sensitive fault lines.
Like milk, bruises have been spilt.
This is called, tripping.
Other times, savage eyes sneak, split, soar
Upward seeking the strings, puppetry -
A real puppet, discovering 'just a girl'.
The eyes know, the time for action is spent.
Still, the eyes will be the last to leave.
Yesterday, from the distance of dissimilitude
She shrunk, more beige than usual.
Today she is wallpaper.
Neighbors diagnose the problem
from behind their blinds:
She is stupefied, frigid, narcotized -
A cold fish, sinking
A swell suited guy.
No one calls her the Wife Beater's, wife.
No one has her number.
Comments
I like this a lot. I would rework the "tepid bitch" stanza. I love that the neighbors view her as "sinking a swell guy." When I saw the photograph, I thought Pinnochio as well as Galatea, and the abuse implied in such a relationship when the father is God and lover, at least in the case of Galatea.
Who is the photographer? I'd like to write a Galatea story based on this photo. Something stirring in the man's eyes.
Lucy, inspired by your poetry and the photo. You rock!!!
Where do you get these photos from? Very nice, impressive :)
Thanks for reading and enjoying ;)
This is a photo I have hung onto for a long time ... I am relatively sure that I found it in Flickr and that the photographer's nic is MonkeyMan. Sadly in between now and then, there is no active link for the image, so I can't point you in the right direction (hate it when that happens).
Generally - I will link directly to the photographer under the image - so if you want to check out more of their work, or their home site you can get to there. If you don't see an image linked its because I can't.
The role of puppet/puppeteer is one I return to fairly often in my work - it has always seemed an apt metaphor for chronic trauma. I hadn't thought about it outside of the immediacy of a woman in a poem, but do v much like your Galatea idea. You go girl!
I imagine I'll be coming back to these themes a bit for awhile. New job stirs the pot.
excellent Fiona. I am so happy life is getting richer for you with the new job. Keep me posted.
Lucy
Thanks much for reading and taking time to comment - I appreciate that!
I like that the poem pulled up childhood 'muck' ... its the root of it :)
Thanks for reading - really appreciate you checking in and commenting!
I've explained a little re: images above ... this is a really powerful image I've held onto for a long time, sadly - it means that the link for the photographer doesn't seem active any longer :( He is a Flickr find tho - it may be worth poking around under the name 'monkeyman'.
Thanks for popping in to read and leave your thoughts! I like "wall to wall despair' - v powerful - there's a poem in there!
If I am inspiring others to create - I couldn't be more pleased! Really - if that is as far as I ever get, acting as a catalyst for creative process will be a real accomplishment in and of itself :)
Thanks much Patricia!
I like how you revised this. Really excellent and publishable!!! Perfect to me as a reader. Thanks.
Lucy