Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, REVAMPING THE VIRGIN, by KAREN SWENSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

REVAMPING THE VIRGIN, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: How green the grass looks on the other side
Last Line: To get it right this time and have a girl.
Subject(s): Mary. Mother Of Jesus; Religion; Women; Women - Bible; Virgin Mary; Theology


How green the grass looks on the other side.
Why not trade in that shabby, plaster Mary,
a sacerdotal Barbie's pallid bromide,
for a con artist Raven Woman or
swap her petitioning prayers to her menfolk
for subtle growls of a Wolf Daughter's lore?
Suppose we barter her glass rosary beads
for Kali's swinging opera length of skull pearls?
Could we switch the conveyor of God's seed
for a Dakini changeling, cirrus-hopper,
star-strider of an anarchy of shapes?
And, would this alter any of the altars
in the world? Or are these stock goddesses
pulled from a spiritual steno-pool,
bare breasted or in modest bodices,
just takers of dictation? In which case
perhaps we should retread that Virgin, send
her for weight training, teach her how to ace
at poker, raise her B.C. consciousness,
drill her in assertiveness until
she's ready to go back to God's caress
to get it right this time and have a girl.





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