Phylacteries

201_Poem

Written by Eloise Katzberg. Eloise, a first-time Jewrotica writer, is American by birth, Persian by blood, and Frenchwoman by obsession. Now, after a year studying in Israel Eloise can almost call herself Israeli by book. Eloise attends the University of Chicago this fall, hoping to add Freakonomic Chicagoan to her list. When not trying to be the next queen Esther she writes for her own site and blogs on Times of Israel.

Rated PG-13She sprawls upon your coffee skin,
tightly twined around your—
unadulterated arm.
Rumpling hairs,
clutching veins,
lacerating flesh,
endangering circulation,
hastening blood to your—
maudlin heart.
Tanned, soaked, sprayed, sliced,
pierced, pickled, trussed, trimmed,
dried, dyed, creamed,
waxed, lacquered,
sliced.
Transformed from an anatomical animal into a sacred structure.
In the corner I watch you embrace her,
as she dances in your palm,
ensnaring like a serpent through your –
mauled fingers.
Why her?
Why do I not light your blood aflame?
Why is she the one touched by you each morning?
Why won’t you pray with me?
Why must you call me insane,
since normalcy I cannot feign?
Why do you ignore my bane?
Please take away that hand,
with his unwelcome lover,
let me see your back
Go—
just leave her in this sack.

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