Song of a Reformed Headhunter

Gertrude and Adrienne Shall I praise the former’s void or shall I praise the latter’s substance?             Taniguchi Den-jo, “Chiyo and Utagawa: Two Women” Gertrude Stein of 27 Rue de Fleurus collected geniuses while Alice amused their wives with stories of the cats and recipes. The writer put down her words evenly like paint so that every word had its own value. The writer put down her words evenly like paint so that every value had its own word. I admire that. Adrienne Rich gathered Black Panthers and Vietnam protesters in her New York apartment. After they separated, her husband drove into the woods and shot himself. This writer breaks down the order of words and builds it up anew. There is an order that is not oppressive, if it can be found. Shall I praise the former’s tender buttons or the latter’s diving wreck?             American radicals, I think...

I have changed Sections 6 and 10 drastically, and made what I hope are improvements to the other sections. I am too close to the poem right now to judge its worth, but I need to give it a tentatively finished form before I can leave it alone and go on to other things. The change in the title should clarify the form and approach of the poem. An Essay after Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" One of the tallest boys of Class 1A, you posed against the older scouts, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in muscle mags while night coaching your little flared dick. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. Your heart was still flushed the day after when a patrol leader, with strawberry for lips, grab...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" One of the tallest boys of Class 1A, you posed against the older scouts, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in muscle mags while stroking your little flared dick. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. Your heart still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Mr. 01 Scout! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" One of the tallest boys of Class 1A, you posed against the older scouts, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, professional postures you studied in Flex while stroking your little flared dick. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. Your heart was still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of t...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" One of the tallest boys of Class 1A, you posed against the older scouts, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared dick. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. Your heart was still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten ...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" One of the tallest boys of Class 1A, you posed against the older scouts, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared dick. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thousa...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" One of the tallest boys of Class 1A, you posed against the older scouts, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared dick. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thousa...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" The tallest of your secondary one class, you posed against the older boys, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared cock. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thou...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" The tallest of your secondary one class, you posed against the older boys, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared cock. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thou...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" The tallest of your secondary one class, you posed against the older boys, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared cock. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thou...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" The tallest of your secondary one class, you posed against the older boys, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared cock. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thou...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" The tallest of your secondary one class, you posed against the older boys, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared cock. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with strawberry lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman! Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch. 2. "she hears the angels chiding, and looks out" The angels fell silent after you left the church, the boxy Baptist church converted from a cinema, where you learned the parts of sinner and saint with a cast of ten thou...

After Adrienne Rich's "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law" 1. "You, once a belle in Shreveport" The tallest of your secondary one class, you posed against the older boys, front double biceps, back lat spread, side chest, taut postures you studied in magazines while stroking your little flared cock. You were only half surprised when you won. Though the other boys had more to show, you threw your hardest punch into the hand you raised. You crushed your abdominals as if jumping on a soda can you tossed. You were still flushed the next morning when an older boy, the one with big lips, grabbed and congratulated you, Muscleman!   Your arm jerked back before you could smile, quicker, stronger, than you could catch.

Adrienne Rich first read at the 92Y in 1958, at the age of 29. Last night, she returned to open the Center's reading season, at the age of 80. The Kaufman Hall was full. When she walked on stage, the audience applauded warmly, and a group of women gave her a standing ovation. It was tremendously moving to see this slight woman, her head disproportionately big, sink into the armchair, shuffle her papers with trembling hands, and then read in a steady voice. "All of her life she has been in love with the hope of telling the utter truth." What W. S. Merwin wrote of Rich reminds me of the choice between truth and beauty my classmates and I were asked to make and reflect upon in a workshop exercise. I wrote down "truth," but realized afterwards that it was what I felt I should choose, and not what I would choose. Truth seemed to be a nobler, larger, claim than beauty; it still seems so to me. It provides a real resistance, an unmovable rock against which one may pi...