June 16th 2012 Bloomsday : the last
lines of Molly Bloom's famous soliloquy
to the backdrop of a Tribute
Painting by the Video Artist
Bloomsday dawned clear and
untroubled on the Sea of Indifference and the Isle of Right. A few of us celebrated in the Tunnel of Love,
reading aloud, letting Molly Bloom stand in for Penelope so someday a woman or
a man could say "vagina" in Michigan.
We had watched the censors’ ships come
into harbor again. They are here for 50 Shades
of Grey now that they have finished with the siren red of Molly’s dress,
the deep blue Well of Loneliness , and
the dark Howl in our Brave New World where on the table of The
Naked Lunch lies the fiery Sex of
Madonna.
The sleek ship is heavy with grime slung in judgment as we honor Molly once again, hearing her say: “I near
lost my breath yes . . . yes so we are
flowers all a woman's body yes that was one true thing he said in his life . . ."
And the flower of the mountain goes
on to say what she did to pleasure him and her lover and she compares
body parts and ends with: “I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my
breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I
will Yes.”
We finished the reading with a
sigh, closed the book, and joked about the ships now at sea. What do Madonna and Molly have in common, we joked. And the
answer was “What they cannot say in Michigan.”
And
then, unnoticed by the youth among us,
we retired women and men touched hands. Yes, we thought we had finished
fighting for women’s control over yes their own bodies and yes the
words they utter and yes
we will fight again yes.
Written to the marvelous "Re-Joycing in “Poetics” (and Exile)" challenge at dVerse Poet's Pub. Visit there for the full challenge. All of the titles in this poem are books censored at one time or another within the USA. The landmark book-censorship case was about James Joyce's Ulysses in 1922.
Re-posted at D'verse for Victoria's "Meeting the Bar: Literary Allusion."
Re-posted at D'verse for Victoria's "Meeting the Bar: Literary Allusion."
ha..this is great...really like this...always things left to fight for, that have yet to be achieved even though a lot has changed during those last 90 years...haven't read the book yet but think i def. should..
ReplyDeleteYes, mam, that is it exactly. Is anything finally finally won?
Deletewhat you can not say in michigan...like vagina maybe....oy what a backward fight we fight...so much ground still left to be covered...or maybe just more good old boys to still be kicked out you know...
ReplyDeleteIt isn't just the boys, sadly. I don't get what people don't get.
DeleteThat's what I was thinkin!!
ReplyDeleteDang good write, Susan!
http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/theres-a-bear-in-the-tent/
Thank you Charles! Funny!
DeleteWonderful. Thanks so much, Susan. k.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thank you!
DeleteI suppose we never get to stop fighting, or we have to fight new frontiers of oppression. Thank you for what your generation did for mine, it was magnanimous and invaluable.
ReplyDeleteYou are sweetness itself. The regression wouldn't worry me so much if it weren't so pointedly misogynist as in the mythic fear of losing power/potency. What is so absolutely wonderful about the way things were/are that change/freedom is reprehensible?
DeleteYes, it's a never-ending fight for women's right. It's to voice out and not be considered prudes. Bravely the fight is on with strength. Great write, Susan!
ReplyDeleteHank
Thanks! I am a bit of a prude though. I don't actually say a lot of the words myself, you'll notice.
DeleteWhat an utter joy to reread, thank you for linking it.
ReplyDeleteAh. This is so sweet. I loved before and love now. I can picture this scene and you are quoting from my favorite parts of the book for sure. Thanks much. k .
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I love how you incorporated the titles of censored books/words as well as style. Great one.
ReplyDeleteThis is genius.
ReplyDeleteHa. Our little redneck town actually presented The Vagina Monologues at our dusty little old theatre and rocked the audience with laughter and tears. Next day, I overheard three elderly ladies who had been there masterfully throwing the word vagina around with much cackling. I so loved it! There were even a few brave men in the audience who must have wondered if the earth had tilted right off its axis. Hee hee. I love the "yes, we will fight again, yes."
ReplyDeletewhat a strange society it is with so much horror and war and making judgements on tenderness. powerful poem. i love the touching hands.
ReplyDeleteLoved this! And yes! so we shall.
ReplyDelete