Eros as Love, Desire
Early stages of emancipation after
A lifetime of reining in, holding back
Not even knowing about her own desires.
A good Southern young woman
Why we were taught to be ladies after all
Femme fatales, virgins, bitches, whores
Or all of the above wrapped into a
Sanitized form or a fantasy caricature of
An Eros-filled human being.
What a fabulous uniform
How convincing an act!
A lot like Dolly Parton
Exuding both confidence and certainty
All wrapped up in a body created to produce
Lust in the groin, pleasure in the heart
A body that drew everyone's eyes to her chest
Smarter than a whip, sweet as a plum
Gracious and caring, loving everyone, and
All parts of life
Even those that must have also been
Highly disturbing and distasteful.
She smiled and laughed through it all
Quick wit and a deep understanding of
Humanity and marketing.
Embryonic Eros belongs to us non-celebrities
Having not perfected such a performance
Just we women who have been taught to
Care for not just our men and our women
But our families, our bosses, our friends
Even those we cannot stand
We take care of them too, don’t we?
Great resentment fills the very little
Empty space inside us, as we work hard
For all, with our multi-tasking and cute charm
Our sexualized behavior and churchwomen
Schoolmarm-ish ways that always seem
Appropriate, approved up, safe, and expensive
To us.
Dig down under the surface of that moisturized skin
And we find the blood, the gashes and wounds
The scars and the heightened protection
Surrounding our hearts and bodies.
Having known great pain, disappointment
Betrayal and fear, we can look dizzy, scattered
Uncertain and lost in mid-life when we no longer
Function primarily as Mother.
Our heart beats tick away and we melt
During menopause, floating away
Into another, more intriguing and lovely dimension
Seemingly far from the rest of this world.
A space where we experience peace and love
Comfort, nurturing and support
The highly unusual unconditional love
That we tried to provide to others.
In embryonic form, we are still suckling
Through the umbilical cord that feeds us
Providing us with nourishment fit for goddesses.
What happens when we are reborn
Transformed into the flaming bright beams of
Emancipated and enlightened Eros
Freed from shackles, chains or blocks
To enjoy our own desires, our own dreams
Our own lives?
Watch out! Maybe, even beware!
You may witness such a woman flying through
The skies on a broomstick or rocket
Hovercraft, glider, cloud, or magic carpet
While we leave this three dimensional world
For something else
