Nov 2022
(katabasis)
(for rita dove)
the mare.
a red deer runs across the tv screen, bolt jutting from its neck. hornless. heavy around the middle. the weapon reminds her of other hunters. she prefers knives herself. something short handled. something that feels the bone. the mistress turns off the tv. it’s her birthday, and she’s getting ahead of herself. stealing eidos, some would say. but that’s already hers, isn't it? it was given to her- along with the fingers. the soft, curled ears.
...
it was something of an event, but she doesn’t like talking about it. and that’s how the whole world ended up believing the story her mother told. her mother, who- let’s be real- lost a few snakes in that cave. the mistress was born that night, sure, but she was also… found… by the goat… who led her to the cave… by song. and the mistress always... knew ****. she stole eidos from the beginning. a bit psychic, she guesses. a touch of the precog. so when the goat did come... she saw the body in the reeds… and she herself was found… wanting… so she was led [clopping] through the marsh. through the woods. to the mountains. to her mother.
...
the cave was dark, and it was disgusting. but- this is what will give you hands, the goat said. it was... the act. i heard you talking to the nymphs… i heard you say… you wished you had fingerprints. and, sure, this was all true. but the mare didn’t understand. the cave was dark. the woman was weeping. there was a foul scent coming from a pile of hay.
...
but then the mare saw what happened. the defiler/ father gouged a horse sized bed inside the woman/ mother. this won’t work, she told the goat, but… he was so… sure… it was done to me, mare… i was told… by a speaking head… lettings beget beginnings… if they are attractive to them. and the mare had heard of the head. she’d heard of the them. so she was convinced. it didn't take much, did it?
...
so she went to her, saying, come. let us create the effigy. and, hoof in hand, they did. they cut the hair from the mare’s neck. they tore delirious snakes from the woman’s ergot fattened crown. the bottomfeeder/ father left a few things lying around, so they used those too. but not as… organs… no, they were trophies. dolphin hand. wooden body.
...
and then the mare climbed inside her mother. at first nothing happened. the unwombed goat laughed, and the mare was afraid it wouldn’t work… but then she knew it would. the body of a horse started to take shape around her… or she became… the form of another- and when she grew eyes she could see… her old horse… was to be her brother. and he was beautiful. and yeah, she was sullen about that. the mare didn’t know she was beautiful.
...
and now she has hands, sure, but she has to wear these long gowns to cover the hooves. and when she… came-to-body… when she grew-up… she got a tutor. and she was given a box. eidos. the mistress knew all about the box. did she want it? no, but here we are. it’s her birthday. her sister is coming up for the occasion, and she will bring granate apples. pimpled, roe-like, inside-the-body-of-mother-growing-horse-like granate apples. the mistress doesn’t think her sister does this on purpose, but who cares. she doesn’t care.
...
the box is heavy on her thigh, and she turns the tv back on. animal masks/ oiled bodies/ dismembered limbs. it’s her birthday, and soon the dancing will begin. it will spread like fire through her mother’s mountainside orchard. and later- later there will be… the reenactment… the parody of a gods greed… and that which it… brought to chance… and, oh- the box is whispering. the mistress lifts it to a soft, curled ear and listens-
(for rita dove)
the mare.
a red deer runs across the tv screen, bolt jutting from its neck. hornless. heavy around the middle. the weapon reminds her of other hunters. she prefers knives herself. something short handled. something that feels the bone. the mistress turns off the tv. it’s her birthday, and she’s getting ahead of herself. stealing eidos, some would say. but that’s already hers, isn't it? it was given to her- along with the fingers. the soft, curled ears.
...
it was something of an event, but she doesn’t like talking about it. and that’s how the whole world ended up believing the story her mother told. her mother, who- let’s be real- lost a few snakes in that cave. the mistress was born that night, sure, but she was also… found… by the goat… who led her to the cave… by song. and the mistress always... knew ****. she stole eidos from the beginning. a bit psychic, she guesses. a touch of the precog. so when the goat did come... she saw the body in the reeds… and she herself was found… wanting… so she was led [clopping] through the marsh. through the woods. to the mountains. to her mother.
...
the cave was dark, and it was disgusting. but- this is what will give you hands, the goat said. it was... the act. i heard you talking to the nymphs… i heard you say… you wished you had fingerprints. and, sure, this was all true. but the mare didn’t understand. the cave was dark. the woman was weeping. there was a foul scent coming from a pile of hay.
...
but then the mare saw what happened. the defiler/ father gouged a horse sized bed inside the woman/ mother. this won’t work, she told the goat, but… he was so… sure… it was done to me, mare… i was told… by a speaking head… lettings beget beginnings… if they are attractive to them. and the mare had heard of the head. she’d heard of the them. so she was convinced. it didn't take much, did it?
...
so she went to her, saying, come. let us create the effigy. and, hoof in hand, they did. they cut the hair from the mare’s neck. they tore delirious snakes from the woman’s ergot fattened crown. the bottomfeeder/ father left a few things lying around, so they used those too. but not as… organs… no, they were trophies. dolphin hand. wooden body.
...
and then the mare climbed inside her mother. at first nothing happened. the unwombed goat laughed, and the mare was afraid it wouldn’t work… but then she knew it would. the body of a horse started to take shape around her… or she became… the form of another- and when she grew eyes she could see… her old horse… was to be her brother. and he was beautiful. and yeah, she was sullen about that. the mare didn’t know she was beautiful.
...
and now she has hands, sure, but she has to wear these long gowns to cover the hooves. and when she… came-to-body… when she grew-up… she got a tutor. and she was given a box. eidos. the mistress knew all about the box. did she want it? no, but here we are. it’s her birthday. her sister is coming up for the occasion, and she will bring granate apples. pimpled, roe-like, inside-the-body-of-mother-growing-horse-like granate apples. the mistress doesn’t think her sister does this on purpose, but who cares. she doesn’t care.
...
the box is heavy on her thigh, and she turns the tv back on. animal masks/ oiled bodies/ dismembered limbs. it’s her birthday, and soon the dancing will begin. it will spread like fire through her mother’s mountainside orchard. and later- later there will be… the reenactment… the parody of a gods greed… and that which it… brought to chance… and, oh- the box is whispering. the mistress lifts it to a soft, curled ear and listens-
