Lady Christ Trilogy

Transposes the most enduring images from the bible onto the micro-environment of the 'family home'. Thus throwing tradition gender roles into a chaos, where the Matriarch emerges as a Christ figure.

Lady Christ #1

Tiny christs cohabit

Giant homes with men, their

Gentle hands turning

All the wheels of time.

Moving through each house as breath

And blood, and body - all.

Bred of the father, for sins

They're

Consumed by the kitchen

Resurrected in the halls

Ascending briefly by the door

of homes

Lady Christs abhor.

Lady Christs #2

Golgotha rises beneath my breasts

Did Mary know how it would end?

A crowning boy arrives

Tiny hands

That cannot possibly strangle me

6 fingers breach each palm,

They’re baby disciples, 

Pudgy soldiers,

Who grubbily demand. 

Lady Christ #3

What am I today,

Redemeer or aberration?

Will you lay claim to me

If the others ask?

Certianly, today

I am too big for the house

Lady Christ the Redeemer

In concrete, at play.

Not the beautific face, in icon

Guilded and giving

That thousand yard

Stare.

What am I today?

The aberration and the redeemer.

Stick a knife in me

I'm done.

Reviews

[kitty blur]

This poem gave me so many incredible mental images, and I adored your word choice. At first, I pictured each stanza being said by a different person, a different mother. Upon second glance, I could see it coming out of one mother's mouth. I read your description of the poem afterward, and that will make my words seem dull when I explain that I understood that message entirely once I was finished reading. Drawing parallels between motherhood and the martyrdom of Christ was very powerful, and I appreciated the way you expressed that.

Aesthetically, the format of the poem was very pleasing to me. Using each chunk to display and convey a different emotion was a nice touch, too. It made me look at your concept from three different perspectives. Very nice.

The 6 fingers thing, was that sort of a reference to the devil? Just thought I'd ask, maybe I'm wrong.

I look forward to reading more of your work. :)

[Sarah_Lady]

Thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it. The 6 fingers on each hand was intended to be a reference to the 12 disciples. But I love the devil link you made, because it references the Garden of Eden story.

[kitty blur]

I see that now, brilliant turn of phrase. :)