Poems and Translations
Poetry of Sholeh Wolpé <Back To Poems Home Page
IT’S A MAN’S WORLD
TO THE END OF THE END —
I am a woman. Simply.
To look at me is a sin —
I must be veiled.
To hear my voice is a temptation
that must be hushed.
For me to think is a crime
so I must not be schooled.
I am to bear it all
and die quietly, without complaint.
Only then can I be admitted to the court of God
where I must repose naked on a marble cloud
feed virtuous men succulent grapes
pour them wine from golden vats
and murmur songs of love…
— Sholeh Wolpé
From: The Scar Saloon (Red Hen Press)
Audio from The Scar Saloon --CD
