Saturday, October 11, 2008

Minerva Jones

Edgar Lee Masters (1868–1950). Spoon River Anthology. 1916.


I AM Minerva, the village poetess,
Hooted at, jeered at by the Yahoos of the street
For my heavy body, cock-eye, and rolling walk,
And all the more when “Butch” Weldy
Captured me after a brutal hunt.
He left me to my fate with Doctor Meyers;
And I sank into death, growing numb from the feet up,
Like one stepping deeper and deeper into a stream of ice.
Will some one go to the village newspaper,
And gather into a book the verses I wrote?—
I thirsted so for love!
I hungered so for life!

2 comments:

  1. Minerva was an old witch that lived in the dark recesses of a childhood friend's home. His dad often promised to let Minerva get him or his sister if they didn't behave.

    Since I had no concept of what this fictional demon looked like, I was never afraid.

    However, at home, the Boogie Man was often described and threatened upon me.

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  2. Minerva was the Roman name of Greek goddess Athena. She was considered to be the virgin goddess of warriors, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, crafts, and the inventor of music. She was a busy girl.

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