Circumspect, I have seen through the centuries
frayed cords encapsulate the shaded tale
oracles portend my unreciprocated love
misogyny reigns in a world of grave unraveling
positing by nature I am meant to obey
Aristoclea teaches Pythagorus:
philosophy inscribed on a fine layer of dust
which cannot be remembered
Arete, the splendor of Greece
possessed of the beauty of Helen
with the soul of Socrates
and the tongue of Homer
will never bear daughters of philosophy
2300 years they will clamor
at the gates of knowledge denied keys
hidden in the cowering folds
of history’s divisive night
I am a lioness, prostasia of the Garden
presumptive former hetaera
with the effrontery to challenge Theophrastus
whirlpools of thought capture victims unsung
as long whispered fears signal
the philosophic imaginary, a wilderness
an undertow on volcanic shores
Detritivores tunnel, long spools unwinding
as gods consume the fervid masses
arguing for ataraxia
knowing what they will do to Hypatia
equality seen as democracy’s moral failure
delineating lost markers
we are denied existence
stripped of effective consciousness
Property lines drawn in space
each a bounded deontology
we are deemed natural deformities
maladapted, malevolent sisters
less than shallow, temples atop sewers
cartographic drawings without names
I refuse to build statues
to these paragons that forsake me
Chromapoetica 
This feels related to the Monique Wittig ideas. The othering of gender.
Women contributing to philosophy, but their perspectives lost in transient sand, the slippery amnesia of prejudice.
This unreciprocated love is another interminable achy ‘almost’? Love of philosophy and mind, shared, but intangible. Perhaps beyond the deep blue night of your garden there is some hope for happy resolution? =)
Yes, Michèle Le Doeuff is the French feminist philosopher that explores the ‘philosophic imaginary’ and I thought keeping the ‘I’ here tied neatly to Wittig’s ideas about being a total subject. I love how you’ve connected this poem to Thresholds through ‘almost’. As Epicurus’ school allowed women as the rule instead of exception surely we can find hope today :). Though women are still woefully underrepresented in university philosophy departments in the US (approximately 20% of philosophy professors are women)!
i thought about you last night…one of the poets at the open mic rewrote a shakespearian sonnet using medical terminology…it was pretty cool actually…
the demeaning of or dismissal of any group is stomach turning…it has def happened throughout history and continues today…but i def find it sad…
I would probably have enjoyed that sonnet as I used to work in Healthcare Risk Management :). Me too, especially when we still have so far to go thousands of years later.
i really like the strength in the stanza that stars with being the lioness…and i agree we still have far to go…but its been thousands of years since you worked in it…haha…just kidding i know what you mean…smiles.
I’ve been meaning to tell you all why I love ancient history – haha! Oh, and why I took that vampire prompt personally! Thanks Brian.
An intelligent write. It demonstrates a fine understanding of classical mythology and illuminates our moderen world with lazer like precision. A very accomplished poem.
Thank you James for the lovely compliment. Bringing the past into the present can be a wonderful filter for making a point about our current situation.
Excellent piece Anna. The language tied to the theory, induced by history and myth, with a tinge of the personal to it, makes this a fantastic poetic masterpiece. Very, very good.
Heavens Fred what a compliment! Was the fringe of personal edge visible? I find that shocking ;).
“philosophy inscribed on a fine layer of dust
which cannot be remembered”
hauntingly beautiful lines… all leading my down to that last stanza which is brilliant, “temples atop sewers,” wow.
and how did i miss this one before?
“Woman is a temple built upon a sewer” Turtullian (an early Christian apologist). Yeah, its cacophony rang out across almost 2000 years. Thank you :).
oh yeah, how about it. masterfully crafted Anna. these three lines my favorite–
Aristoclea teaches Pythagorus:
philosophy inscribed on a fine layer of dust
which cannot be remembered
loved this. — C.
Christi, thank you for your beautiful compliment!
Anna–I loved this. Sad that it is still be true today–shame that none of us are shocked by it.
Yes, I walk around in a constant state of shock about what doesn’t surprise or move us. I’m working on a poem about the Sand Creek Massacre and the assimilation era that followed wondering how society can overlook and not feel culpable for so much.
I am positive long before Christianity finally helped wipe out the woman’s role as equal to that of a mans, women enjoyed equal status both as equals to Gods and mortals alike. Their status was whittled down to a lesser and lesser role in society until it became the ‘norm’ that for a woman to be learned, she had to be either a witch or possessed, and then it just got worse to where she wasn’t even ‘allowed’ to be taught anything other than how to be a good wife. Goodness Anna, this has bought the ancient past back to the future with a bang! Fabulous write.
I am in a lot of trouble – do mobs still carry pitchforks and torches or are we living in a new era of internet trolls :)? I am happy to hear the time gap was bridged successfully, it was important to me. Thanks for your great comment!
powerful and clearly heartfelt words. I appreciate your mystical and mythical approaches to writing, Anna. you seem to let your mind expand fearlessly. thank you.
Jane, I believe that liberty is nascent within the mind so this is a cherished compliment, thank you!
CLASSIC !!! 😀
Property lines drawn in space
each a bounded deontology
we are deemed natural deformities
maladapted, malevolent sisters
less than shallow, temples atop sewers
cartographic drawings without names
I refuse to build statues
to these paragons that forsake me
You and me both ;D
Solidarity brother ;D!
Good! No more statues! Unless we put them atop the sewers when the temples are finally moved—or, no more temples too! But I would have preferred a welcome to the table than a reversal of fortune all round. Enough dreaming and sighing–it was deliberate hegemony built with the cooperation of all–and though we can ignore sexism in some quarters, the sayings have not been burned, and like racism, it isn’t far enough beneath the surface. I felt that more in colleges and universities than anywhere else, right where you’d expect more sense. Sorry that by the end of the poem one still has to stand up alone and rebel.
Ha-ha, who will move the temples? I agree about the welcome to the table and academia should be a place to expect sense. I think for Leontion she did stand alone, I hope we do not have to do that as much now.
The glass ceiling is not broken, the brotherhood re-unites; the genders split and everywhere equal work gets unequal pay. Only window dressing now in terms of jobs to where we were in 1900, I think. A few break through, of course, like the tokens they are, whispered about, vilified — and more moms alone try to put meals on the table while telling the family history, and remembering every remedy ever uttered in hopes of keeping the children healthy.
I hear you and always appreciate your informed and interesting comments. Until we gain real political and economic power I’m afraid this will continue.
Property lines drawn in space…out of this stunning write…this line stopped me in my tracks (Had a huge “discussion” last evening on how “ownership” has allowed us to become the beasts we are. Funny how events color our interpretations…is it any wonder the world is in such a mess! 😉
Ownership is a fruitful debate indeed and particularly charged in this instance. Tash, I always appreciate your encouragement! Keep having those ‘discussions’ your voice is important.
A great write, Anna . 🙂
Thanks Ayala :).
Wooo ya! I refuse to build statues to anything that forsakes me. So true, the time it takes to idolize something in clay, cement, stone, granite or whatever, many lives could be touched and helped. That’s why I had that statue on my page, if a statue represents us we can’t be free do do anything. I have to be able to help and be free to go lend a hand. I know your piece is more philosophical, and I too wish more women would be/could be/should be in front of these classrooms, because there is a perspective we are missing out on. Always luv your stuff. thanks for your visits to my page. I’m sorry I don’t get to comment as much as I should, but I always read your page. Be kool. Super presentation here.
That freedom is vitally important to creating change and in this case the further we look back the less energy we have to look forward. There is absolutely a perspective that we miss and until it’s presented and heard we’ll continue to ignore and oppress other voices whether they are women or marginalized groups. You’re my 1000th ‘like’ so thank you for that :)!
I loved it before, and now I read it differently, with changed eyes.
“whirlpools of thought capture victims unsung
as long whispered fears signal
the philosophic imaginary, a wilderness
an undertow on volcanic shores”
that undertow keeps tugging at us all. xoxo
How true. Thanks for making my day, you’re very good at that :).
Poor women! (And finally we got the pill and now they want to take it away– crazy!) k.
That was probably a constant problem for a hetaera. How awful to be a courtesan in any era but especially in a time when bathing wasn’t a big priority!
Your work ever this alluring, stunning maze of amazements, ineradicable turns of phrase– lessons, flying through history, gathering up what does and doesn’t please you but belongs anyway– do keep writing as yourself– masterful. I especially liked: I am a lioness, prostasia of the Garden
presumptive former hetaera
with the effrontery to challenge Theophrastus” xxxj
Jenne, what a touching compliment to awaken to today, you have my deep gratitude :D!
as you might guess, i like the property lines drawn in space, i’m trying to imagine them, for real, and can’t, but i can imagine them for sur-real 😉
four child with book senryu
Sur-real can sometimes be as fun :)!
esp. loved the part with the lioness and the refusing to build statues to these paragons that forsake me…think much has changed for many of us but still a long way to go… powerful voice again anna and love the way you approach this
How wonderful it would be to bear an animal name like Leontion – I’d want to be named after a wolf :). Yes, let’s end all the figurative statue erecting!
Beautiful writing Anna! Recalling and combining mythology and history to modern writing is a rare offering. It mesmerized me and called for revisits. Many of the words got me stumped that’s why! Great write Ma’am!
Hank
Thank you, Hank. Actually these women are all real people, all philosophers. Happy to hear you revisited to wrestle those stumping words, I do appreciate it very much.
Anna, this is such an important piece. We have lost our connection with this galactic space…this is beautiful and necessary, ‘whirlpools of thought capture victims unsung.’ Our consumption and a desire to control leads to an absence of civil liberty and simple love…so happy to know that you are thinking about these things. I love the mythological figures here. Thank you for ‘refusing’, I join this revolt!
Wonderful, we need all the conscious, caring, and intelligent people we can get! Thank you!
As so often with you, a rousing piece built with wonderful references to mythology.
But the forces of control and reaction continue to divide and conquer us.
A lioness should never hunt alone!
How true and fortunate that these days we have packs of men and women willing to stand together. Thank you!
Excellent, really is. I need to revisit this, delving into its arcana 🙂 I’ve written about another woman philosopher, Aspasia, also a prostitute. But I hadn’t heard of her before your poem. Fortunate for me, I must say. I’m glad you worked in Hypatia too. The poem is really a gold-mine of philosophical wonder.
Thank you, I wasn’t providing notes during NaPoWriMo and now somewhat regret the decision :). I have a poem dedicated to Hypatia, full of mathematics and the liberty of the mind, called Stochastic Intimacy.
Always your love for vocabulary shines through – and it especially works when the historical background shoulders the etymology of the language. Like a lot of people here, I thought the lioness stanza was the best, being the most personal.
Yes, I thought so too :).