by Elisabeth Horan
1939
There is a woman of the dirt.
And another.
Two nudes in the earth. Just
Me and my sister.
Look how she coils
Into my belly asking for
Forgiveness. I like to see her
Writhe like a worm, and
I step on her
Sometimes – to remind
Her of her smallness –
And how it feels to die.
And yet
She eats of my stomach, and
I keep her alive.
We are family
After all. But family is not
Good meat; it
Can kill you if allowed to
Fester such as this –
And if such meat is left
Unattended – such as this
Near your spouse’s mouth
He might eat her alive
With utter delight and leave none
For anyone else –
He will be filled with the
Protein of her; her
Red celled goodness;
Meanwhile you are anemic; you are
Weak, and breathless –
You faint
Walking to the bathroom…
Keeling at the waist
While her loin resides in the
Mouth of
A greedy king.
He is kneeling at her waist –
Who do I tell this to?
No one has prepared any
Dinner for me,
Y el olor de la carne
Ya no lo soporto –
and the smell of the meat
I cannot tolerate
I paint myself with very short hair
And go to sleep with my monkey.
This poem will appear in the upcoming book Self Portrait, to be published by Cephalopress on September 30th 2019. Many thanks to the Cephalopress team for allowing us to showcase it here. And be sure to view Frida Kahlo’s painting Two Nudes in the Forest (The Earth Itself).
About the book: This book of poetry explores the life and work of Frida Kahlo, suffusing the intensity of her life into a dual-language collection. In her love of language and Frida, emerging poet Elisabeth Horan offers a beautiful meditation on art and that which inspires it. Her connection to Frida is drawn out through the vivid poems and imagery, embedding the personal into a life-story that has become well-known. Horan’s collection illuminates a new approach to Kahlo’s life in its emphasis on shared experience and poetic tribute.
About the Author: Elisabeth Horan is an imperfect
creature from Vermont advocating for animals, children and those
suffering alone and in pain – especially those ostracized by disability
and mental illness.
She is Editor in Chief at Animal Heart
Press, and Co-Editor at Ice Floe Press. She has several chaps and
collections coming out this year including Bad Mommy / Stay Mommy at Fly on the Wall Press, Odd list Odd house Odd me at Twist It Press, Was It R*pe, from Rhythm and Bones Press, and Just to the Right of the Stove,
with Hedgehog Poetry Press. She is a poetry mentor and proud momma to
Peter and Thomas. She recently earned her MFA from Lindenwood University
and received a 2018 Best of the Net Nomination from Midnight Lane
Boutique and a 2018 Pushcart Nomination from Cease Cows. Follow her @ehoranpoet & ehoranpoet.com Her other books are available to buy from: https://www.ehoranpoet.com/my-bookstore.html
Where to buy the book:
From Publisher: https://www.cephalopress.com/books/
From Amazon (ebook): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XZFJ3CT