After he lifts my veil,
the territory given me
is orgasms like M-16s,
bowling, crushed-
pretzel meatloaf.
On Mahjong night, between
one Crak, two Bam,
talk of who has the biggest
bedroom set, best vacations,
best chance to get pregnant,
I can’t say
I’ve been sneaking around
with my hippie sister,
eating rice that isn’t white,
riding my Brooklyn train
to Washington Square
anti-war protests.
I can’t say
I stopped looking up to him
after he keeps his eyes closed
during Ella Fitzgerald
at the Rainbow Room,
tells me he can’t
get past her skin.
I can’t say
I stopped looking at him
after he marches me
to the Clinic, tells me to say,
“We’re not ready.”
I am ready to toss
my veil, scorch earth.
Footsteps barely
on new ground—
I fall off the edge.
Before falling for poetry, Madeline Artenberg was a press-pass-carrying photojournalist
and street-theatre performer. She has been co-producing the Alternative New Year’s
Day Poetry Extravaganza in New York City since 2002.
Her work has been published in, among others: Rattle, Mudfish, theravensperch,
The POET, Caprice, Literature Today International Journal, Absinthe Literary Review,
Skidrow Penthouse, Pudding House, Salonika, Vernacular, and Ducts.
Her awards and prizes include:
- Mudfish poetry prize: finalist (2020)
- Best of the Net: poem nominated by Poets Wear Prada (2020)
- Highland Park Poetry Challenge: honorable mention (2017)
- Margie, The American Journal of Poetry contest: semi-finalist (2005)
- Poetry Forum contest: 1st prize (2003)
- nycbigcitylit/Lyric Recovery contest: semi-finalist (2001)
