Back to Poems from the Hoot

At first glance, poetry can seem limited – by line breaks, by its often short length, or by rules of form.  The truth is that great variety and playfulness is sometimes more richly realized in poems than in prose.  Each word, each line strives to hold more than we thought language could.  Midge Goldberg’s able sonnet, Temptress, read at the April Poetry Hoot’s Open Mic, is a wonderful example.  Within the rules of the sonnet, she plays with the game of attraction through mythology, fairy tale, aphorism (the way to a man’s heart…) and allegory.  All in the traditional 14 lines and a simple (but not simplistic) rhyme scheme. 

Temptress

Apples?  No good.  If I were going to try

and tempt you, it would be with pecan pie,

sticky and sweet, or steak – filet mignon –

or burnished Irish whiskey, burring on

the tongue, the taste of darkened candlelight.

Besides, an apple’s everything that sex

is not – crisp, clean – then there’s that whole Snow White

thing happening: the ugly hag, the hex.

Who’d want one after that?  But I’ll make do;

this apple’s what I’ve got to offer you.

If knowledge is a fruit that men desire,

I’ll hold it, out of reach, a little higher…

Perhaps there are times that an apple’s right.

Here – I dare you.  Know me.  Take a bite.

.

                             - Midge Goldberg

Each month the featured readers at the Hoot are followed by a full hour of open mic where a wide variety of poems are read by an even wider variety of people.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to read.  I hope that we’ll see some of you reading your poems beginning September 6 at Café Espresso.   

Lesley Kimball

"Temptress” copyright 2006 by Midge Goldberg.   Midge Goldberg lives in Derry, NH. Her first book of poetry, Flume Ride, is being published this fall by David Robert Books.