PRAYER AFTER ICONOCLASM
after Shahzia Sikander and Esther Strauß
Blessed are the bones, the scaffold
that holds, seed set in the depth
of the mouth, waiting to sprout
in the slippery dark. Blessed mother
in labor, sweat on the brow. Look
how they loved, how they hated her.
Blessed the navel, blessed the vine
uncoiling toward freedom, blessing
her crime. Her horns and her halo.
Wings held on her back, blessed be
the jabot worn on her neck. Bless
be her grit, bless be her glitter,
bless be the downfall of men
who have hurt her. Bless her rough
hands, lungs out of breath, bless her
milk seeping from each of her breasts.
—from Poets Respond
__________
Nina Peláez: “This poem was written after reading two articles from the past week reporting on the destruction of two sculptures: Esther Strauß’ “Crowning,” depicting Mary in the throes of childbirth, and Shahzia Sikander’s ‘Witness,’ an allegorical female figure. Within a week, both sculptures were beheaded. I was disturbed to read about the brutal vandalism of these two images, both of which engage with biblical subjects in ways that seek to reframe traditional narratives about female empowerment, particularly around reproductive justice. This poem offers a benediction to the two violated figures.” (web)
