Day Twelve

I went to see a movie last night. Nothing notable about that; seeing a movie is an ordinary activity. I went to see Seven Veils, starring Amanda Seyfried. It was an okay movie, could have been better, had too much opera in it for me. But since the opera they are staging was Salome, I decided to write a poem about Salome, turning her story inside out and considering a different angle.

SALOME

 I am Salome.
I dance for my father.
I dance for him because I have no choice.
I dance for his friends.
They watch me.
They leer at me.
They catcall me.

I am Salome.
I dance until I am exhausted.
I dance until I can’t dance any more.
I dance until they are sick of looking at me.
I dance until I am nude.
I dance…because I have no choice.

I am Salome.
I am infamous.
My father killed John the Baptist.
He claimed he killed him for me.
He claimed I wanted his head.
Why would I want a bloody head?
He blamed his crime on me.

I am Salome.
Like many other women,
I have been blamed for the crimes
Of a man.