Parable of the Four Poster
Parable of the Four-Poster
By Erica Jong
Because she wants to touch him,
she moves away.
Because she wants to talk to him,
she keeps silent.
Because she wants to kiss him,
she turns away
& kisses a man she does not want to kiss.
He watches
thinking she does not want him.
He listens
hearing her silence.
He turns away
thinking her distant
& kisses a girl he does not want to kiss.
They marry each other—
a four-way mistake.
He goes to bed with his wife
thinking of her.
She goes to bed with her husband
thinking of him.
—& all this in a real old-fashioned four-poster bed.
Do they live unhappily ever after?
Of course.
Do they undo their mistakes ever?
Never.
Who is the victim here?
Love is the victim.
Who is the villain?
Love that never dies.
These lines are so succinct and sadly true: Who is the victim here?
Love is the victim.
Who is the villain?
Love that never dies.
Anyone who has ever been in this predicament will feel utterly unmasked and understood by the subdued torment you describe. You are one hell of a poet Annmarie.
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I love those lines too. In fact, I love the whole poem. The straightforward telling of it ... but sadly, I cannot take credit for having written them. Erica Jong wrote them, and like most of her work, they get right to the very heart of it. She's known more for her novels than her poems, but I think these have been overlooked. Glad you liked it, Val! Read more of her poetry! You'll love it!
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