This Poem was Submitted By: Thomas Edward Wright On Date: 2004-03-10 12:47:23 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!To Listen to Music While Reading this Poem, just Click Here!
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At The Mammae of Modernity
“The locker room of my skull is full of panting egrets.”
James Tate Happy as the Day Is Long
I want to bear a child.
This wish, I know, may never be fulfilled.
It is like wishing for a new world.
A good friend. A B-B gun for Christmas.
All things we should have but won’t.
I want to carry this child for every day of a full term.
Not a Nixon-ized premature delivery from the womb, nor
A Clinton-esque affair to derail the current train of thought.
I would sing (La!) for forty weeks.
Loud, in the shower, from a tower,
In a crowded house, even with a mouse.
I would buy pink Blueberries, and Blue Cherries and,
Spumante ice cream and wear the banners of every
Pink and blue team in the newspaper.
I would name him Adam. Or Horatio. But not Mike.
I would name her Eve. Or Mike. But not Horatio.
She would be my Angel. He would be my Star.
I would follow both, either, ever, afar.
My desire to bear this burden has no bounds.
My ability to accomplish this is my current burden.
Suddenly, miraculously,
I am pregnant with this vision!
The prodrome of labor is upon us!
The pangs of pain are real.
The child is born.
A cry forlorn is heard.
The baby poops.
A diaper changed.
In hunger screams.
Loud lightning hits:
Mommy is a man
who forgot to wish for ...
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Copyright © March 2004 Thomas Edward Wright
Additional Notes:
For Ups, BJ, Mothers all. With all due respect and admiration. And jealousy.
This Poem was Critiqued By: Elaine Marie Phalen On Date: 2004-04-07 23:12:19
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.93548
Ohmigosh, Tom, this is wickedly funny and astonishing. The dedication is noted with a blush. : )
I'm an adoptive Mom, you know; my kid arrived through someone else's good will and forceps. Oh well, same end result.
I want to carry this child for every day of a full term.
Not a Nixon-ized premature delivery from the womb, nor
A Clinton-esque affair to derail the current train of thought.
I would sing (La!) for forty weeks.
Loud, in the shower, from a tower,
In a crowded house, even with a mouse.
There's soemthing slightly nutty about blending the politicos ("full term" indeed; no impeachments here) with Dr. Seuss-style rhyme. I love it! Who knows which kid is going to grow up to be loved by the world, and which is going to be shuffled off the Shady Rest Happy Home for Vilified Ex-Presidents?? Or worse.
I would buy pink Blueberries, and Blue Cherries and,
Spumante ice cream and wear the banners of every
Pink and blue team in the newspaper.
Gender-neutral is good. Buy yellow and green; they're safer. After the birth you can get whatever color works best. Damn, this is just too funny!
Suddenly, miraculously,
I am pregnant with this vision!
The prodrome of labor is upon us!
The pangs of pain are real.
Aha, yes, a metaphorical vision is at hand. Those "pangs of pain" signal a sudden awareness of vulnerability. I'm curious as to the exact exit route but we won't push it (ooops, sorry).
In the end, reality impinges on the fantasy in the form of yells and diapers and ravenous appetite. The milkless man is udderly bereft of sustenance for his newborn. He's also about to wake up and realize it was a nightmare!
One question: why not Mike??
Love the poem, pal. It's very ... unique.
Brenda
This Poem was Critiqued By: Erzahl Leo M. Espino On Date: 2004-04-07 08:34:52
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.62500
Hi Thomas,
Actually, this is the poem that really hit me big time! Swallowing your ego and pride, I can feel the 100% honesty in your words here. I am impressed by your openness, it doesn’t sound effeminate (because of the “pregnant” subject) but instead playful and manly. Manly in ways that it somehow respects and appreciates the beauty of being a mother, the beauty of conceiving and giving birth. That really impressed me! Great mind, great topic, ends up very inspiring and unique!
“At The Mammae of Modernity”
--- Just one comment, I didn’t find the title appealing and attractive. I feel there are more for improvement.
I want to bear a child.
--- Immediately, you addressed the subjects that end up as an effective attraction. For me, I was lured by this “child-like” but deep wish.
“This wish, I know, may never be fulfilled.
It is like wishing for a new world.
A good friend. A B-B gun for Christmas.
All things we should have but won’t.”
--- Unforgettable statements, great examples! Your introspective lyric is again exercised!
Not a Nixon-ized premature delivery from the womb, nor
A Clinton-esque affair to derail the current train of thought.
--- To expand “full-term” with these lines are clever side-comments.
“Loud, in the shower, from a tower,
In a crowded house, even with a mouse.”
--- The rhyming are entertaining, the subjects puts a smile on my face…you are so creative Thomas!
I would buy pink Blueberries, and Blue Cherries and,
Spumante ice cream and wear the banners of every
Pink and blue team in the newspaper.
--- The colors symbolized the common dilemma of parents of knowing what sex is the baby would be. I also love the “craving” images.
She would be my Angel. He would be my Star.
I would follow both, either, ever, afar.
--- Wow, my mouth opened in awe by your poetic pen. Excellent!
“My desire to bear this burden has no bounds.
My ability to accomplish this is my current burden.”
--- Another impressive lines…
“Suddenly, miraculously,
I am pregnant with this vision!
The prodrome of labor is upon us!
The pangs of pain are real.”
--- I can feel your deep desire! Your passion for this vision is overwhelming!
“The child is born.
A cry forlorn is heard.
The baby poops.
A diaper changed.
In hunger screams.
Loud lightning hits:
Mommy is a man
who forgot to wish for ...”
--- Great ending! Generally, you summarized it all!
I wish I could write just like you Thomas! Pieces of your heart and thoughts are scattered in this poem. Shining with influence and inspiration from each and every lines. Always entertaining but with depths and wisdom. I’m sorry but for me this is my number one! You have expressed more than what a “mother” could express. It only shows how a “parent” you are! Thanks for letting us know the “parent” side of you. This is a keepsake!
I think J.U, B.J and all poetic mothers out there would be jealous on a guy like you, on how your words surpassed the true feelings of mothers.
As always,
Erzahl :)
P.S. I also like the fonts.
This Poem was Critiqued By: Sherri L Smith On Date: 2004-04-05 20:09:07
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.65217
Dear Tom,
I think this is the first time that I have actually read about a man wanting to bear a child. The old saying "If a man had to have the children the world would soon be empty" does not apply to you. I am amazed at the depth of perception that you have into the workings of a woman's body during pregnancy and birth.
Awesome job, maybe someday a man will experience the wonder of childbirth. But, I don't think that God intended things to work that way.
Thanks for posting.
Sherri
This Poem was Critiqued By: Rachel F. Spinoza On Date: 2004-03-29 10:59:29
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.82353
Damn I wish i could write like this. But then I birthed a baby so i guess it
all evens out
“The locker room of my skull is full of panting egrets.”
yeah, yeah, James, me too
I want to bear a child.
it's not as easy as it looks
This wish, I know, may never be fulfilled.
It is like wishing for a new world.
A good friend. A B-B gun for Christmas.
All things we should have but won’t.
A b-b gun? No way --- you can have the baby the new world and the good friend though
I want to carry this child for every day of a full term.
Not a Nixon-ized premature delivery from the womb,[love it] nor
A Clinton-esque affair to derail the current train of thought.[heh]
I would sing (La!) for forty weeks.[i love [LA!] this line]
Loud, in the shower, from a tower,
In a crowded house, even with a mouse.
and even while puking in the dust
I would buy pink Blueberries, and Blue Cherries
there are BLue Cherries? really? and,
Spumante ice cream and wear the banners of every
Pink and blue team in the newspaper.
love it love it
I would name him Adam. Or Horatio. But not Mike.
I would name her Eve. Or Mike. But not Horatio.
Horatio? I knew him!
She would be my Angel. He would be my Star.
I would follow both, either, ever, afar.
what a delicious dip of the toes into the banal
My desire to bear this burden has no bounds.
My ability to accomplish this is my current burden.
pobrecito! - i would help but i lack the skills
Suddenly, miraculously,
I am pregnant with this vision!
MAZEL TOV!
The prodrome of labor is upon us!
The pangs of pain are real.
yes, yes
The child is born.
A cry forlorn is heard.
The baby poops.
A diaper changed.
In hunger screams.
Loud lightning hits:
Mommy is a man
who forgot to wish for ...
more more more
This Poem was Critiqued By: Jennifer j Hill On Date: 2004-03-19 15:49:08
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.72727
Hey TEW,
What a great title-"At The Mammae of Modernity". The reader is curiously drawn (I mean drawn by
curiousity)into this piece and doesn't have to read far to gain understanding. But at the same time
I was unable to stop reading because frankly You tickle me with your TEWisms.
I especially enjoy the Dr Suessence of:
"I would sing (La!) for forty weeks.
Loud, in the shower, from a tower,
In a crowded house, even with a mouse."
Your ending brought me to tears practically. Never leave again, ok?
appreciatively,
jj
This Poem was Critiqued By: Sherri L. West On Date: 2004-03-14 22:14:08
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.66667
Hi Thomas,
What a wonderful piece. The humor is very clever - who would have thought to refer to Nixon in a poem about child bearing? You also captured the absolute bliss of a first time mom. For me, the bliss was really confined to the 2nd trimester (couldn't stop heaving through the first and couldn't breathe or sleep through the 3rd). The Suess-like stanzas reinforce the the enthusiasm that new mothers have with all things baby-related. And, of course, the ending is a hoot!(smile) I can't help believing though that any power great enough to grant such a wish in the first place would certainly not overlook any of the essentials!
Thanks for posting!
Blessings,
Sherri
This Poem was Critiqued By: Claire H. Currier On Date: 2004-03-12 12:18:03
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 8.16667
Thomas this is beautifully executed, well structured, great word flow, images superbly done......and you did not fool me one bit knowing you were a man all the way.......loved every bit of it.....I know this one will make the winners list this month and rightly so.....
She would be my Angel. He would be my Star.
I would follow both, either, ever, afar.
love the above two liines.....do you know how many men there are that feel just like you do? Wanting to have a child of their own, to feel the tug against your heart from within, those little arms and legs how they wrap themself around you from day one......the emotions involved that last a lifetime.....superb job poet....thanks for posting and sharing...be safe, God Bless, Claire
This Poem was Critiqued By: Wayne R. Leach On Date: 2004-03-10 20:56:08
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.70000
Very interesting; from now on I'll be exceedingly careful of my wishes! More imagery than I could wish for! An exceedingly magnetic piece of work, dragging the reader forcefully through the obvious impossibilities, yet... - who knows? So many angles, yet so distinct in the display of each - from politics to the shower to ice cream to sports, the name game. Nice package. Love this line with its hesitations, assonance, and alliteration superbly done:
"I would follow both, either, ever, afar."
Miracles proven!??? Thanks for submitting this very different poem. wl
This Poem was Critiqued By: Marcia McCaslin On Date: 2004-03-10 19:11:59
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.00000
Hi Thomas. So, suddenly you ARE pregnant with the vision. I found this really cute and spoof-y and fun
to read. I think you covered all the major bases.
And you would sing (LA!) for 40 weeks. This is so funny for one (me) who has been thru it--and there was
no LA! for one week, let alone 40! But it's cute and original and I really enjoyed your vicarious
'take' on the whole thing. In appreciation, Marcia McCaslin
This Poem was Critiqued By: Joanne M Uppendahl On Date: 2004-03-10 14:48:36
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Dear Tom:
Laughing so hard -- I can't breathe. You irreverent progenitor, you. Touché!
Your points are made (though visibly missing). Additional response may arrive
by email, vaunt-courier, or in this very venue. It is feasible, isn't it,
in the foreseeable future, that males may be able to carry a fetus to term
abdominally? The requisite mammary glands could be forced to function, I
found in a short article called "Male Lactation" by Professor Patty Stuart
Macadam of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto
(Compleat Mother, Fall, 1996, Volume 43).
"It is possible, and has been observed in animals and humans. In 1992, 18 Dayak
fruit bats were captured from a rainforest in the Krau Game Reserve, Pahang,
Malaysia. Of the 10 mature males captured, each had functional mammary glands
from which small amounts of milk were expressed. A breast is a breast. Male
lactation is physiologically possible and, according to Dr. Robert Greenblatt,
production in males can be stimulated by letting a baby suckle for several weeks.
Indeed some human males secrete milk at birth and at puberty.
Historically, male lactation was noted by the German explorer Alexander Freiherr
von Humboldt prior to 1859, who wrote of a 32-year-old man who breastfed his child
for five months. It was also observed in a 55-year-old Baltimore man who had been
the wetnurse of the children of his mistress."
http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/milkmen.htm
Thank you for the dedication! *And your dedication
Smiles,
Joanne
This Poem was Critiqued By: Jordan Brendez Bandojo On Date: 2004-03-10 14:18:24
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Hi Tom,
I should hurry up before this piece goes down to my list!
Ah, this is a dedication to mothers, especially to Ups and BJ?
How nice of you to be inspired. I can see that your submissions so far
are themed with mothers. What a significant theme to tackle about.
This one speaks of the nobility of a mother. We all know their roles in our society.
The title "At The Mammae of Modernity" is very catchy! While you were talking of Mary
in your first submission which is back in ancient time (but with modern concepts)
this one is about the mothern sense of motherhood.
This piece has your trademark of form, language and presentation.
Authenticity of the concepts is seen here. It is manifested in the use of
quotation, proper nouns (like B-B gun for Christmas, Nixon-ized, Clinton-esque, etc.)
"I want to bear a child." -- this is a grand wish of a mother. You know I can
remember my mom. Actually, we are 10 in the family, 5 boys and 5 boys. It is really a
Big family, right? The line "I want to bear a child." was wished by my mom (in unity with
my father) 10 times! Hehe! It's fun and nice to think about! In some cases,
this wish remained a wish because of impotency (sad to note), hehe! Having a child
or children is not only a wish but a gift from above.
I like this line "I would sing (La!) for forty weeks." It is very real!
The influx of your ideas just flow nicely until you came up with a great ending:
"Mommy is a man
who forgot to wish for ..." ---- an effectively witty ending!
Thanks for sharing, Tom! You are such a prolific writer!
Jordan
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