“erica jong, 1971” collage work (2013)
I.
Dear Erica. You said, “woman’s a long
moan of a word with a man in it.” Damn.
Girl, I pronounce girl, “vrouw die.” That strong
Dutch word that ends in murder. Like a gram
of coke, it is how we use it that counts.
II.
Like fire storm whirlwinds. Like The Madonna
of Blood, who serves up slaughter by the ounce.
We’re all guilty of myth-making. Mama
III.
Poet, your daughters wander this dream world.
I’ve seen them (not once with a man inside).
Dreaming is all I’m good at. Demeter
went to hell for her daughter, found her curled
in the pit. I want to wake up. I’ve tried.
I’ve tried. Anything for my big sister.
* * *
Notes:
* Erica Jong is an American author, known for her works, Fear of Flying, Shylock’s Daughter and Seducing the Demon. We all must give praise to our literary matriarchs, as it were. Without her book Fruits & Vegetables paving the way I would not be writing what I write today. It is as simple as that.
* According to Google translate, the word “girl” can be rendered “vrouw die.” So they say.
I remember finding that book at my mother’s house once when I visited. She don’t read nuttin’ never. It must have been emitting some resonant hum for her to have it…stashed away in the garage. Was it that ero-tica? There’s lots of Ticas here…must know.
Later….
I think it would pass muster for erotica. Anyone who coined the phrase “zipless fuck” (heehee) can probably call her poetry whatever she wants. What surprises me is just how far Erica Jong has fallen off the modern American poetry map, especially since I’d take her work over 99% of the post-modern verse being written today.