Poetical Spouses

I have the honour of hosting tonight’s dVerse Poets Pub Poetics – Poetical Spouses. My challenge is inspired by Carol Ann Duffy’s collection of poems, The World’s Wife, in which she presented characters, stories, histories and myths from the point of view of the ‘women behind the men’. We are taking a character, fictional or dead, and re-writing their story from the point of view of their husband or wife. I would like to start with a short, tongue-in-cheek poem about the first spouse.

Adam’s Rib

To begin with,

I’d like to bust the myth,

The veritably flagrant fib,

That I was made from Adam’s rib.

Who came first? I hear you beg,

The chicken Adam or Eve the egg?

Another story with which I grapple,

Is the one about the forbidden apple:

Adam begged me to climb the tree;

He was too fearful (and cowardly)

That he would fall or be discovered.

Now that my story’s been uncovered,

I’d like to put the record straight:

Is the Creator a man? She ain’t.

 

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

Adam and Eve

Image found on www.culture24.org.uk

 

And here’s one from the point of view of a husband:

Woolf Unafraid

Virginia dear,

you may once have called me

‘a penniless Jew’

but I am the keeper of your lighthouse,

I’m not afraid of you

or your flight of the mind

on a voyage out on waves.

Throughout the years,

every night and day,

you have been my Mrs Dalloway

and, between the acts,

there is no ignoring the fact

that you wrote in your diary:

‘Love-making—after 25 years

can’t bear to be separate…

You see it is enormous pleasure

being wanted: a wife.

And our marriage so complete.’

 

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

woolfleonard_2701421e

Leonard and Virginia, looking close in Monk’s House garden, image found on www.telegraph.co.uk

20 thoughts on “Poetical Spouses”

  3. I smiled at the biblical levity, but got hooked by the Dalloway love poem. I wrote about Bukowski’s spouse, Linda Lee. A terrific prompt, considered using Chaplin or Picasso or Abe Lincoln–a plethora of wonderful choices.

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  7. I’ll admit to liking the first one best. Are you aware of The Women’s Bible, edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It’s a critique on various aspects of the written Bible where women is concerned. It can be found on on http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ They, indeed, critique the creation myth. And the Tritinity for that matter. Wonderful, informative reading. Published back in the late 1800s too! Another one that got written out of history.

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  8. Ah Kim — just finished reading all the posts (as of this AM) and a) learned a lot of history I was not aware of and b) really enjoyed the creativity of folks! This was a great prompt — I really had fun with it.
    I especially love your Adam and Eve piece here — made me smile, especially the chicken and the egg part..with Adam as the chicken and then he turns out to be fearful about climbing the tree — yep, a chicken there too!
    So glad you hosted! 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Lillian, I’ve had a blast hosting. I was nervous about it but you are all so warm, welcoming and enthusiastic at dVerse Poets Pub. I’ve said it before – I’m so glad I found you.

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  9. Somewhat coincidentally..
    Adam’s first wife Lilith.. no..
    not Lillian but Lilith
    IS portrayed
    as a Demon
    woman.. but
    i’LL take her place
    now and say that’s just
    another dam patriarchal lie..
    as i forged my way as first women’s
    rights champion as matriarch of more
    primitive free days.. when human was in
    charge instead of Culture with ribbons in my hair..
    nah..
    i Am
    Lilith
    hEar me roar..
    and if you F WiTh
    AdAM i’LL have yA GoLd
    nuggets iF yA gEt mY DriFt…;)

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    1. Lilith, created from the same dirt as Adam, refused to bow down to him – no wonder he was happy to let Eve take the blame. I’m surprised Eve and Lilith didn’t get together to compare notes! 🙂

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