50. What Kind of Woman | Kate Baer
Another wonderful book of feminist poetry by Kate Baer. (Couple her with this beaut) This is Kate’s first book, I neglected to read them in order but it didn’t matter - they’re both incredibly thought-provoking.
From the cover:
“Through poems that are as unforgettably beautiful as they are accessible, Kate proves herself to be an exemplary voice in modern poetry. Her words make women feel seen in their bodies, in their own marriages, and in their own lives. Her poems are those you share with your mother, your daughter, your sister, and your friends.”
Here’s two of my favourites from this collection:
Like A Wife
The week before my wedding, my friend's dad said:
just don't get fat, like other wives do.
And so I brined him in a deep salt bath, added
thyme and celery. Devoured him whole, in one
big bite, so he could see just how hungry a
woman can be.
Etymology of the Word Wife
From the Indo-European root, ghwibh,
which means pudenda or shame
shame from the Old English, scamu,
which means modesty or private part
private from the Latin word privatus,
which means personal or peculiar
peculiar from the mid-fifteenth-century
meaning “belonging exclusively to one
person” or private property
