Justyna had been toiling on her festive feast
and cleaned while Husband toiled differently – at work.
She felt a little sad when chopping up the pork,
because her children all had grown. She took the yeast
and thought of how her life had counted for the least.
“But it is duty,” saying to herself, berserk,
repeating feverishly what kept her with a smirk
despite what chores annoyed her, chores that never ceased.
By night, it snowed a darkened snow, nocturnal, white.
A knock was heard. Justyna knew her husband’s might.
The knock was lighter. Humming cautious, anxious hymns,
she saw the woman. All the legends said that sight
of females first brings awful luck. And yet – Invite
her in, she thought. We women live too much on others’ whims.
This sonnet was inspired by a superstition my friend Nathalie told me. She said that there's a really interesting Christmas-time superstition in Poland. Apparently good luck will follow a male visitor's arrival, but bad luck will ensue if the first Christmas visitor is female. (I did some research and apparently it's the first person to enter the door.) This intriguing legend led to the underlining of society's roles for women in my sonnet.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with your insight into a woman's thoughts since, well, you're not one. :) I like it!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :) Too bad I'm not a woman...it would definitely have given me more credibility! I was really inspired by my friend's anecdote, which is such a sexist superstition!
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