Thursday, March 16, 2017

Dividing of Parts


To-day we have dividing of parts. Yesterday,
We had daily cleansing. And to-morrow morning
We shall have what to do after firing. But to-day
To-day we have dividing of parts. Lavenders
Sweetly pollinate each others' flowery fruits
     And to-day we have dividing of parts.

This is the strong man. And this 
Is the obedient woman, whose use you will see, 
When you have taken your vows. And this is the dowry,
Which in your case you have not got. The clouds
Float in the skies their white, indefinite forms
     Which in our case we have not got.

This is the heterosexuality, which is always released
With an easy flick from the mass-media. And please do not let me
See anyone using his emotions. You can do it quite easy
If you have any masculinity. The mossy trees
stand defiant, dark, and green, never letting anyone see
     Any of them using their emotions.

And this you can see is the penis. The purpose of this
Is to spread your seed, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
The miracle of life. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The heavenly moon performs its tides:
     They call it the miracle of life.

They call it the miracle of life: it is perfectly easy
If you have any masculinity: like the penis,
And the seed, and the sexuality, and the traditions
Which in our case we have not got; and the violets
Float amongst each others' flowery fruits and the tides going backwards and forwards
     For to-day we have dividing of parts.

3 comments:

  1. I am not sure what 'firing' is doing in the first stanza - it seems outside the register of heteronormativity that the first voice in the poem describes throughout. I love the idea, though, of lampooning that domestic ideology. I am less clear on what the other voice represents as an alternative, except that it seems to extol some values of nature and its cycles, so the contrast could have been clarified a bit perhaps.
    The structure and catch-phrases of the Reed original are reproduced to ensure recognizability as a pastiche/parody - excellent!

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    Replies
    1. When I changed the meaning of 'parts' to 'genitals', because that is after all what is truly divided into groups, I thought I would keep the then new pun of the man 'firing' his member like a gun. Also to focus the first voice on the male side of the male-female dichotomy, or 'war of the sexes'.

      I will agree that my other voice is perhaps a bit too mystifying. Nonetheless, it is talking about the genderqueer. Which is perhaps why it isn't clear, when each stanza describes another aspect under the umbrella-term genderqueer.

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    2. Thanks, that clears things up considerably...

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