the O P E R A: We Were Mothers Once, and Young

My ex - father - in - law*, BEFORE there was A Thing Legal, had ALREADY laid CLAIM TO the babe withIN .MY. uterus / TO .MY. pregnancy. IN the USA ... ... and not some other patriarchy or androcentrism. Its Sperm Source* is not the first man I had had. I am 28 years old. But, o'course, I am ... ... f e m a l e. And fecund. March y1976 = the date / Iowa State University's Memorial Union meeting room = the venue straight - A, second - year VETERINARY MEDICAL student = ME ME: " But there isn't going to BE a marriage. " X - F I L ragingly rose straight up, faced TO The Thin Air, did NOT AT ALL address me, me ... ... nothing more to him than his son's* HANDMAID and B O O M E D: " O YES ! THERE IS ! " THAT was, indeed, THAT. Patriarchal - / GILEAD - C L A I M had gone down. One EXALTED spermatozoan. And there WAS a mawwiage. Forced. JUST LIKE within other patriarchies Worldwide. And THE TAKING of that first babe. And THE TAKING, later on, of TWO MORE

 " When we are together, YOU bring out The Worst in ME, " Gilead Commander Herod. ... ... Repeatedly I, Ofherod, am told thus. F i n a l l y, Friday, 03 June y1988, THE last school day of MY Boys' academic year ? I ... ... AWAY FROM the Commander ... ... SEPARATE.  I order Herod to LEAVE my home. I fear the ACTUAL MEANING of this statement of his.  Its violence - repercussions.  TO me.  TO my three Boys. Commander Herod could not get OUT the brown Othello Drive front door ... ... FAST enough.  Gone.   Willingly and, Y E T, without ONE WEE thought of his given over TO the three sleeping children ... ... of his EXALTED spermatozoa, he SOOOO absented himself.