blog of poet, leah umansky

Borrow the hours, the ours

17 The Lord said to Eve, ‘you are free to use your own pronoun. & Eve said to God: I want the body and the thirst. I want to always speak first. I want the becoming and the coming and the…the mixing of the self with the sun. Now, that you have gendered me; engendered me; & remembered me– make me my own. Give me my own pronoun. Give me my own material.  Give me authority.

21 After harkening at the dusk-song, God said, ‘With the glory which I had with thee; the glory I had with thee; the glory I have had and had had; before the world was; before the world is; that was THE GLORY. That shall be yours- in yours; of yours, Mother-Of-All-Living-Things.

34 Then dusk became sunless and still, God spake,‘You are the artificer. You are the artifice. When I behold you – you are paler than the blanched. Into thy bosom, I have given you one heart, and if one borrows [it]; if one maketh [it] othered; if one borrows [of] thee unrightfully – cradle the earth in your arches and as a thread to a shoelatchet; a beam to the sun- I will make it NOT so. Young men have eaten here. Yes, young men have ate. Empty thy heart like a stomach. Take me a heifer; a goat; or turtledove & when the morning arises – I will tell thee the story of you & you will gather up light. My kindred. My country. My singular beauteous thing.  Be your own. On your own.  In your own. Be yours; Be ours.’