Uterine

[Cellar Door]

Men in the Congo
Men in Zimbabwe
freedom fighters
doped up on drugs, testosterone injections-
Tigers in the jungle, waiting to pounce?

Maybe

Women in the Congo
Women in Zimbabwe
mothers sisters daughters wives
trying to avoid war, get on with life-
Lambs ripe for slaughter?

No

In each of their bodies
they hold the key to life
every stage of the moon
a mystic goddess quality

An Austrian man suggested
Penis envy and hysteria
ail every woman
What about womb envy-
ever try that on for size?

Back to the Congo-
Back to Zimbabwe-
Who needs a gun
when villages can be torn apart
with defilement?

Men ruined
Women ruined
in more ways than one
for the sake of political agenda
Forgive them, for they know not what they do

Does God know that little Adam has grown so jealous of Eve?

[a_little_wisp]

WHOA, CELLAR. This was fantastic! "Womb envy" - I love you. This was both clever and powerful. The last line tickled me. Excellent, excellent writing here, Cellar.

And a little off-topic, the mention of Eve just reminded me:

"I ate that apple because I was hungry. I wanted what lay outside of Paradise, a world without the burden of perfection.
Now you call all sinful women my sisters.
I say, let them claim their own damn sins.
The apple may not be perfect, but it's mine."

-Diane Lockwood, Eve Argues Against Perfection

[Sapphire]

I can't put words on this, but I wanted to let you know that I liked it - it moves me and makes me think.

For some reason, while reading it this song started playing in my head: Reamonn - in Zaire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV9Sj0YoaS8). I really do not know why, it just happened.

Thank you for sharing.

[Cellar Door]

Wispy- so glad you liked it. This one was a hard one to write, because the issue of sexual violence is one that makes me angry, and I don't write very well when I'm too emotional. It is outrageous to hear that such atrocities are committed... but enough preaching. Thanks for that quote, it's really cool! I like those kinds of things, I will have to read her work.

Sapphire- I'm really happy this poem made you think and moved you. Thanks for sharing that song with me, I've never heard that band before. I really liked the man (from Zaire, I presume?) singing in the middle. It was really cool.