you call me the pious one,
you see me as the temptress
you are entranced my beauty,
you applaud my agile limbs
you gamble with my life,
you offer me your kingdom
you snatch my endless sari,
you lust for flesh beneath my veils
you strip me of my dignity,
you blame me for your trespasses
I am Draupadi,
I am Salome
What do I desire?
I became curious about the intersections of these two figures, Draupadi and Salome. They seem parallel and opposites. This is a beginning exploration, keeping in mind my interest in who has agency, who is the subject and who is the object etc.
you see me as the temptress
you applaud my agile limbs
you offer me your kingdom
you lust for flesh beneath my veils
you blame me for your trespasses
I am Salome
I became curious about the intersections of these two figures, Draupadi and Salome. They seem parallel and opposites. This is a beginning exploration, keeping in mind my interest in who has agency, who is the subject and who is the object etc.
Just a brief comment from the gut- this is so interesting- I really like thinking about the two female figures next to each other- Draupadi and Salome! Veils and Saree is what sticks out in particular as something super specific to work with on the prop level!
ReplyDeleteFeedback from Meena:
ReplyDeleteSurprised to see these two figures next to each other! Interested to see where this exploration goes, particularly with regards to race and context since those are so different.
Over the course of the poem I because caught up in when the first phrase and second of each stanza was in opposition and when it was similar. Stanza 1 seems to be in an opposing relationship (pious and temptress - who is pious and who is temptress?); stanza 2 is a similar relationship (both are complimented on their bodies); I'm curious about stanza 3 because I'm curious about the kingdom that is being offered? From stanza 3 onwards I almost get the feeling that the story becomes about one person and that you are describing a continuous story...stanzas 4 and 5 describe what sounds to me like a a sexual assault encounter.
Who is the "you" in the story? Who is the "I" in the story?
Feels like the last line "what do I desire" is a great lead for part 2 of the poem...her viewpoint about her body, her desires, though I wonder how the femme characters will deal with the stanza 4 and 5.