I, too, am made up of conjecture—
hinted at between the gaps of tinted diction,
sketched through the veils of conflicted histories.
I knew them both before you learned
that old trick evolution—
when they tried to bind me
to the earth, I spoke;
used each sacred syllable
to unclip wings self-made
and prove power over that which would precede me.
The old men made a menace of me;
if I had children, they called them monsters,
though they themselves had sharper fangs;
tried to deflect and snare
with chains about their necks
too frail to bind the symbols of their alphabet.
So if you do not name me demon,
I’ll point you to spaces wide enough
for movements through the binding of your mouth,
where your tongue can move
with independent tone and taste.
Poor voiceless Eve, I know
what has been left to grow inside you
and how you would share it
if even the ground had the wisdom to listen.
Your words will echo far past mine
though none will have the knowledge
of the fruit which you consume.
Author notes
http://allpoetry.com/Cool%20Jew
The Storni poem provided made me think about feminism in general, and the need for equality and voice in relationships… which in turn got me thinking about a recent essay I read about Jewish Feminists being able to reclaim both Lilith (who is the speaker of the poem) and Eve—who has typically been seen as docile and subservient—as feminist figures.
Lilith, who the Rabbis discuss in midrash (commentary), is Adam’s first wife who, created at the same time as him, refused to be subservient. When he tried to force himself on her, she spoke G-d’s name, grew wings and escaped Eden. Afterwards, she was characterized as a violent demoness until feminists reclaimed her in the 20th century. Eve is born in the second version of the creation story in Genesis and has much less power than Lilith did.
For anyone interested in reading the essay which had a large hand in this piece, it’s called “You Take Lilith, I’ll Take Eve: A Closer Look at the World’s Second Feminist” by Yiska Rosenfeld, and it’s in an essay collection entitled Yentl’s Revenge: The Next Wave of Jewish Feminism.
Finally, the Torah never really identifies the fruit that Eve ate—that it was an apple was another argument made in the midrash.
All comments and criticism greatly appreciated.
A contest entry
- November Rounds Finale by CitrineSunrise.
3180 points, ended March 23, 4 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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My first read of yours and I am intrigued....and will be reading this again...Your heritage and the lilith you mention makes me think of Golda Meir somewhat....I will be reading more in the future...
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marvelous work here so creative and well founded in philosophic writings, affirmation of women takes many forms and when modern women reach to correct the mistaken beliefs of the past, it is a vital step towards progress... excellent and revealing...PK
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Many patriarchal religious and social traditions attempted to paint strong, assertive women as sinners, whores or demons. The story of Lilith is one "lesson" as is Mary Magdelene in the New Testament. It is constantly amazing to me that a majority of the earth's inhabitants could be considered inferior because they have the ability to create life.
This was a beautifully written poem that extrapolates from the Genesis story to the power and majesty of all women. Thank you for this poem. Peace, Liz
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