Zine publication of feminist poetry, written by Gender, Sexuality and Women\u27s Studies Department students

SFU Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies

SFU Women\u27s Studies Department

Simon Fraser University students

English

Summit Research Repository (Simon Fraser University)

feminist PoetrY bY SFU StudentsEdited bY Tanyss KnowlesParachutins Past PatriarchY"I want to speak my voice! / I want to speak my real voice!"- Muriel Rukeyser, "Suicide Blues"Table of ContentsIntroductionby Tanyss KnowlesEmily Murphy in Circulationby Sandi ChanThat Girl With No Fate But A Historyby Roghiyeh RazmaraAn invitation to My Love oJthe Afterlife.by Shazia PeermohamedGross Body Hairby Joy Walcott-FrancisPunishedby Natasha Sanders-KaySPOTA controls the streetlights with switchesIvan DruryGirl Power with Nobel Prize Winnersby Shiraz Ramji2344-56-7891011SPrins 2010IntroductionTanyss KnowlesAt times it is hard to separate the image of the picketer from ournotions of activism. However, the process of publishing feminist poetry isanother fonn of activism. In North America during the 1970s a successfulfeminist movement was underway but its poetic voices were strugglingto be heard. In response to the historical silencing of women, the andro-centrism in the publishing and poetic community, and feminists' desire touse poetry as a fonn of expression, the feminist poetry presses burgeonedin that era. By creating a space for women-controlled publications andgendered poetry, these presses took an active role in challenging genderedoppression, which in tum bolstered the larger Women's Movement of thetime. The purpose of this zine is to mimic the activism of those presses bypublishing the feminist poetry of SFU student poets.I classify poetry as feminist by employing Rita Fe1ski's broaddefinition of feminist literature which "encompass[es] all those texts thatreveal a critical awareness of women's subordinate position and of genderas a problematic category." Therefore, in the pages of this zine you willfind a diverse set of poems - some written about history, some about love,some written by men - but all from SFU poets and all feminist withinFelski's definition.My hope for readers of this zine is twofold. First, that this zinewill add to the tradition of feminist presses. And secondly, in reading thiszine, you will be reminded of the role art has in political activism, inspir-ing you to create a tangible political artifact for your own cause.I would like to acknowledge and thank Roberta Neilson, LaraCampbell, and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Departmentat SFU for their support and funding. As well, I applaud Sean Wilkinsonfor his beautiful cover art. Finally, and most importantly, a big thank youto the poets who submitted their creative work making this zine possible.3Parachutins Past PatriarchYEmily Murphy in Circulationbeing passed aroundfrom wallets, cash registers and banksfor groceries, high heels and four months ofYasminCould she believe,that her face could exchange such things?Would she understand that her master plan backfiredThat her social gospel,while impounding fallen womenand sterilizing the unfit,would be reversed andracistunacceptableby our 20 I0 norms.keep circulating, until the next national art directionP.S.: thank you for the Persons Case.THAT GIRL WITH NO FATE BUT A HISTORYLet me introduce myselfLet me adjust my hat, put on my high heels, doll myself up,And introduce myself1 am that girl from the pastThat woman from the future1 am the history of my kind1 am that nasty spermAnd that cute egg1 am that girl with supposeds to beRemember me?Supposed to be a bride, not brightSupposed to own kids, not cats, not booksSupposed to buy home,To make home with teeth and nailAnd supposed to be .And supposed to do .4Sandi ChanRoghiyeh RazmaraI curse the supposedsI cursed my fateI cursed my fate and flew awayI shit on the cycle that lacks cats and cigarettesTum my blindest eye to the destinyMy destiny, a big supposed to be,Written, published, and sold way before my presenceWith a nice coverMy picture kissing my groomSmiling all the timeAnd titled" That Girl With No History"I cursed my fateDid not believe in oneAnd became oneA hundred eighteen poundsFifty three kilosSkipped the wedding like a lunchSkipped the kids like a dinnerSkipped the mother, like a daughterI skipped my motherDid not become oneI did not become my mother's bestsellerow,I am not that girl of the pastThat bride with bright destinyLacking cats, books, and cigarettesAnd now,My mother detests meDetests my cats, books, and cigarettesLoves the husbandAnd hopes for his spennUniting with my eggsAnd prays for meWriting a book, a bestsellerWith developed character, theme, and no conflicto Conflict At All.5Sprins 2010Parachutins Past PatriarchYAn Invitation to My Love of the Afterlife. (Your Food is Ready Darling.)Shazia PeermohamedBecause I think I could love you,only think and only could,I'll split my skin cleanaround the sternum.You can fork your path intothe endand suck thatspurting shit clean.You see that the fat red thingis still beatingandbecause I think I could love you,you may openthose chambersas they beat.Eat my spaghetti ofvein and artery,dip it intomy nowcongealing crimson cream.Enjoy it my darling, please.Eat my licorice clotsfor desert and let thehalf dry halfwetskin of bloodlinger on yourtaste bud.And when you put your hungry hands on my breasts;a resuscitation.Here I am honey muffin, thoughtyou lost me?And the polyps of my taste budssmash softinto yours.6Tongue sucking your silenced sighs andpicking and pluckingthose forked veinsj underin your mouthunderthe slide of your spit,banging into your teeth,you are ending andI am simply sucking.My pulp of red stuck inthe Fahrenheit ofexcitement.Darling, you have a cavity,I do think so.Eating your vanilla neck,my hands hungry on your chest;a resuscitation.Your body lapsedmagnetic back to mine,jugular vein bangs into canine.The end.ow startingin suspension,still,Both of us.Still.Sideswept pupilsstuck staring atcontours in the wood skinof our book cabinet intellect.Those contours darling, are not so hard for usto climbnow that we're at.the end.1SPrina 2010Parachutins Past PatriarchYSPOTACONTROLSTHESTREETLIGHTS~THS~TCHESIvan Drurystreet lights flicker on whenwalk nearact street in actcommunicatingact presents theone presentthe woman's manactthe act is communicatingwhether windowsstreets presentor knowingis public manpresentcommunicatingis fucking communicatingto move the nightwhen walks nearthe lights flicker on8Sprins 2010... PunishedNatasha Sanders-KayPunished for every fun fuck, every one night standevery drunken walkin the darkWas 1 wrong to wear red high heels and drink beerAnd to smilewhen just the day before men on the street told me to smileLike 1 was a stuck up bitchfor being afraid of the group of men staring at meTears and hot water bottles for a weekApologies apologiesTeeth and tongueTaught never to say noand to hate ourselvesfor sayingyes9Parachutins Past PatriarchYGross Body HairDark chocolatey skinCovered smooth with shiny black hairFall effortlessly, uniquely0, not curly, not pepper seed grainyBut straight and strongUnashamedly the strength of a black woman.1, was proud of itSo too were my country menTo their brethren they would sayAs 1 go byThere goes an irie daughterubian Queen, highly blessed EmpressThe kind of woman to help 1 replenish this earthYes my brother, she, is a strong black woman.To Delilah Samson lost his strengthAnd so did I to my colonial mastersSurrendering virgin legs, thighsTo razor and creamExposing now dark vulnerable poresTo unknown foreign elementsFor woe be unto her who parades such strength in public.From deep within the subaltern screamsWanting to rebel, to fight back, to resist this oppressive systemBut 1 was a coward, 1 was weak1 opened my mouth to speak, no words came forthI pushed back, the walls did not budgeThen it hit meNo longer was 1 that strong black woman.10Joy Walcott-FrancisSPrins 2010Girl Power with Nobel Prize WinnersShiraz RamjiOne, Two, / Nobel Prize, Women WinnersThree, Four, / Wangari Maathai, Toni MorrisonFive, Six, / Aung San SUll, Shirin EbadiSeven, Eight/, Betty Williams, Mairead CorriganNine, Ten, / Rigoberta Menchu, Gabriela MistralEleven, Twelve, / Marie Curie, irene CurieThirteen, Fourteen, / Jody Williams, Mother TheresaFifteen, Sixteen, / Jane Addams, Emily Greene BalchSeventeen, Eighteen, / Alva Myrdal, Bertha von SuttnerNineteen, Twenty, / Nadine Gordimer, Doris Lessing-Sharon Olds11

Parachuting Past Patriarchy.

https://summit.sfu.ca/_flysystem/fedora/sfu_migrate/10629/Student1.pdf

Parachuting Past Patriarchy.

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Summit Research Repository (Simon Fraser University)