Spiritual Motherhood, and: Mother-of-All-Poems, and: After "The Guitar Lesson" by Balthus
- Spiritual Motherhood, and: Mother-of-All-Poems, and: After "The Guitar Lesson" by Balthus
Spiritual Motherhood
The impish girl who was threeor maybe fourwrapped herself in my wine capelike in a chadorand started spinning.I can't believe how much she looks like yousaid her mother.You were just like herwhen you were little.
Of course, she looks like me—I thought.Nobody knows,a shred of my soulis still stuck in that house.It's in the air she breathes.
So many scraps of my soulwere torn off and left behindlike unwilling seedsin so many houses.A day might comewhen some kid will show up at my doorand call me mom. [End Page 92]
Mother-of-All-Poems
The god who wants me to stick aroundhas given me something to do.
Like a bored sniper waiting for ordersI fold a piece of paper into a bird.
The god who kicked me outhas built a shelter for my madnesspunctured by intrusive thoughts.
Take my poems, my ransom—my unwanted childrenof effraction.Take the fruit and leave mealone with the meat.
The moon shines on the peopleand the people are fighting.
Whoever is running this circushas given me a job titleto paste on my door and lockthe whole world outside my room.
And I promise I won't suffer.Let the reader suffer;I have delivered the goods. [End Page 93]
After "The Guitar Lesson" by Balthus
If you want to be avenged,at least pick someone you didn't bearin your womb for nine months.Now you're alone,the children you so gruesomely carriedflee at your sight.
I am alone too;my lovers flee when I tell them what I want,for you have branded me,and my body sides with you.
How I long, Mother, for the day you'll lose your mindand won't be able to recognize me,the day you won't know me enough to hurt me,and I'll be able to care for you. [End Page 94]
Soraya Qahwaji is the pen name of a US-based poet and writer.
