"Antonyms for Curative"
Not stitching, not parallel,
hubristic scars inflamed. Not
apothecarial, more mercurial,
your touch more curse than
prayer. Not worship, not grace,
no redemption in your hand.
Not sympathy, not silence, we
haunt the in-between. Not
listening, not familiar, not that
you care anyway. The fear of
changing, of yielding, whistles
compromise away. Not tender,
this darkness, not cleansing, but
fester. Not beauty, not kindness.
Language fails us again. How
ugly, your countenance, your
bedside manner an attack. Not
responsive, my candor, my ardor
a cancerous want. Not mortar,
not pestle, not poultice or salve.
This wound will not be healed.
"Act I" from Taming
use me stark mad or wonderful
your pleasure and instruments
strange penance of tongue take delight
together and fast our sweet means to delights
touch and be happy
whipped set free
I am a horse thoroughly rid love take hold
touch O yes, sweet hand
knees kissed marked to scold and raise up
a storm
lips move with breath perfume the air
sacred and sweet
cruel art
cunning instruct my hand
I will charm tongue your pleasure
I am tied to be obedient
thralled wounded
mark my beloved Knock, I say Worship, I say
knock me here soundly knock here knock here, I say
knock me and rap me well knock
come part the fray, I say rise rise
knock and knock O, heavens
knock me here, knock me well and knock me soundly and come servant
sweet, happy
foul love, rough
Katherina Minola, renowned for her scolding tongue.
Know her know her well see
her eyes a cat.
Katherine the curst
Katherine the curst
title of all titles
Peace is the rival of my love.
Stand amorous fairly bound plead for her.
Speak, fair, curst Katherine, scold harm me strange wildcat.
Lions roar the sea chafed with sweat
a woman's tongue that gives so great a fire
she's the choice
she's the chosen
famous for a scolding tongue
beauteous
free.
[Source: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare]
"Act II" from Taming
bind my hands pull off my raiment
I'll plead have me have me
tie my hands strike this insolence weeps
shame a devilish spirit
I must dance barefoot in hell
wrong me show myself a guest in your house
do me wrong know my grief
I see you I call your name I pray I curse
grateful to behold you
this cunning this liberty I welcome the education
of a simple instrument and you you you within.
Between us two raging fires meet
consume feed their fury fire fire
rough and happy.
Iron hold her break her for she broke me
bow her hand teach her fingering
with a devilish spirit
with word and instrument and vile terms to misuse
She sings newly washed with dew.
Piercing crave enter Katherine.
Kate Kate Kate the curst Kate the prettiest
Kate Kate take me,
Katherine hit sit Katherine bear bear Katherine
O Katherine come, come you are angry
Katherine be my remedy Katherine
Katherine tongue tongue Katherine tongue
Katherine strike strike Katherine strike me
O Katherine Katherine craven
Katherine Katherine there there
rough and coy and angry pleasure
O Katherine command this chamber
O Katherine Katherine warm in bed
born to tame wild
Katherine Katherine call me lunatic
be curst be pleased be curst believe
O kiss kiss O tame men and women
the shrew will feast
Katherine give me joy. Kiss me, Kate.
Now I madly desperate lay fretting by you
this strife of love
I die I live I am I offer all
I die and die I am Katherine
I give all.
[Source: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare]
"Act IV" from Taming
mad beaten
I am a fire
teeth tongue fire
my master, my mistress, and myself
fire fire fire
here there slap feel knock
she he me die in oblivion
he is more shrew than she
let their heads be slick
let them touch kiss
enter my companions
dagger sheath
bate and beat and be obedient
all night the clamor
scorn makes a god of affection
beastly beauteous
we are joy
the taming
the taming
tricks
and tongue O
I fear I fear I love my misery
touch eat eat eat
my honey love
a velvet dish a shell a toy a trick
I will be free
O God up and down carved
snip&nip&cut&slash
a devil
cut me cut cut here I command
break beautiful
skin feast
curious
love
this night
the sun
the moon
a war of stars
mad mad mad
joyful
strange
[Source: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare]
"Act V" from Taming
the priest the church the door
knock knock knock
beat down the gate within within
pound, beloved, here at the door with him
lay hands in the church together
we are undone
worship beat beat O god O
I am undone, I am undone
lunatic mad
I am with strangers abused
we are undone
Love wrought these miracles
Love made the haven of my bliss
fear not the depth of this
the rest the feast
the kiss the midst
the kiss let’s let’s
Katherine I will kiss she kisses him
love is this a banquet
sit down sit eat sit sit and sit and eat and eat
this kindness is for both our sakes me and you
turn round round Katherine that by him by me
turn round Katherine Katherine
A hundred marks, my Kate, put down
head and body head and horn
O hit now hit here you two I say and let’s be content
come to me O come do what you will
come come O come enter Katherine come Katherina
Katherine what is your will? where is your fire?
here is a wonder a wonder
enter Katherine as prisoners to her Katherine obeys
laying Katherine I charge come come come
wound beauty whirlwind a woman troubled
thirsty to sip or touch pain night storms
crave love and obedience a rebel grace
kneel bound to serve, love, and obey
our bodies soft and weak and smooth
our soft conditions our strength our weakness
our stomachs our hands our hands
kiss kiss come
we three are married
tamed
tamed.
[Source: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare]
V.C. McCabe is the author of Give the Bard a Tetanus Shot (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press, 2019) and Co-Editor of New International Voices at Ice Floe Press. Her work has appeared in ekphrastic exhibits and journals worldwide, including EPOCH, Prairie Schooner, Poet Lore, and Coffin Bell.
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