Clare Bear's Reviews > Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women

I had an email update come through and this sample was most riveting.

Men like myself of course being simple we can never expect to understand the complexity of a woman... love the poem.

Kev.

I have tried finding a poem online to express something akin to the male experience. I feel a little like Sally from one of the early episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun (I am a recent convert) who discovered that men and women are entirely different "species", and then she felt a whole lot better about herself (as she'd just been dumped for the first time!) It seems male poets themselves write alot about women, but I found the following. I don't know how authentic it is from a male perspective, but I found it amusing. It's called 'Clark Kent, Naked.'

Bear.



They found him in a phone booth, huddled,
frail as a fetus, shivering in the cold.

The problem, he said, was that when he began

to take off his clothes for the usual transformation,

the blue and red suit with the yellow "S"

emblazoned across the front, just wasn't there.

He couldn't believe it, he said, and kept disrobing

when he was assaulted by a transient who took the pile of clothes.

He insisted that no one tell Lois as they led him away

covered by a wool blanket, babbling incoherently

to the air in front of him, remembering how things used to be.


Fred Moramarco

Ok Kev, you've got me at a moment when dad's laptop is all miiiiiiiiine! And just thinking about your comment on the complexity of women. Perhaps that was a throwaway line, but it got me thinking and you know what? For me, the complexity comes from not really knowing what in blazes you want. I'm bombarded by images, saturated by suggestions, and biologically I'm designed to be a certain way, which makes for one hell of a molotoff-cocktail. I wonder what a month of solitude on a desert island would do for the psyche? Would I end up creating issues with coconuts and iguanas, or would I emerge clearheaded with the thought processes of mountain fresh spring water?
I guess the likelihood of the opportunity of a desert island to resolve myself is indulgent, not to say, fantastical.
Girls..what do you think?
Bear.

I think it is the variance that throws the male mind. To not know what a woman is thinking and that it can change for no discernable reason makes woman one of the most unsolvable of mysteries. Anything else we can track and measure so as to be able to predict... Then we as Males can stand back and have that contentment I have mastered the subject, I have ticked that box - Look at me, I have succeeded, I have triumphed, I am Man! (Chest beating at the same time optional, but recommended)

But on the subject of Woman there is no such victory, there is not even a glimmer of hope on the topic, so it becomes more of a tragic tale of pursuit (like the holy grail which is somehow brilliant in it's unattainableness) Add to that the volitility of saying the wrong thing or mishandling said substance and you have the most intriguing of concepts.

Perhaps the male fascination and love of the subject comes from our inner desire to dance with danger and live on "the edge"

I have decided that in some circumstances and with some individuals that dating truly is a thrill sport - one truly is taking their life in their own hands and braving incredible risks.

There is my further two cents on the subject....

Maybe, and I say maybe being far far far from expert in these matters, men and women meeting, greeting, or dating need to meet while both are having the crappiest day ever, so it can only get better from there. He's sick of his job, apartment, his corner-store, whatever it is men get jack of (see, Men are a big mystery too!), and she's sick of her hair, her location or destination, while biologically pining to be with child while she's buying shampoo in Woolies only to spot diapers and their all-too-cute mascots! Huggies don't play fair! Meanwhile she's spotted a fabulous dress next door and is thinking how she would wear her hair with that, meanwhile her body is demanding she get pregnant now now NOW. You. Shelf-packer. what are you doing Saturday night? Very unnerving. The conscious brain is thinking.. overseas travel with friends, witnessing road trips, cocktails, and then wham! hormones are screaming either for a baby, or screaming alternately Get OUT of my way MAN (ALL MEN ARE JERKS in this weekly interval). You reflect with your gals about the joys of the freedom and independence of singledom..Provided of course, its a chosen state. Noone likes to think they're that forgotten slightly out of date version on the back of the shelf. Then again, thanks again to an unstoppable release of chemicals each month you want a man around to hug you, someone, that is, besides your dad. But try telling that to the independent self. You get mocked and dissed, bigtime.

You're right Kev. It's the dance with the devil.
It's bungy jumping with knives and flamethrowers and trained assassins just waiting for you at the bottom. And that cable isn't looking too good either.

You have my empathy and sympathy.
Androgyny is looking pretty good right now :)

Bear.

Ok I'd like to add my "two cents" for all that they are worth. I am not male and therefore am only projecting my thoughts as I see them. For all the tv shows and movies, books and peoples thoughts on the matter stating that they feel that guys are so simple in comparison to women, I don't think it is true. I think men can be as complex and as difficult to interpret. Do we really know what men want? Yeah sure, society's stereotype of what the male species wants, but I don't think that is a true representation of what is going on in men's minds. I hope not anyway. :)
Anyway. Im going to scurry back to my corner.

I hear you Rinski. Apart from the media stereotype that all men want and think about is beer, tv and women, I also have little insight into the inner chamber of their labrynthian minds. I mean, I like beer, tv, my girl friends and male friends and men too, so where does that leave us? I was saying in an earlier comment with Kev what I thought might be on a man's mind, generally speaking, and the hell if I know! It's like trying to spot a rainbow unicorn with a four leaf clover between it's teeth ;)


(Perhaps Kev could be our Representative Male and give us the gist..Kev?)

Well this is an interesting banter tis it not?

Well I'm not sure how much I am at liberty to divulge, not to mention that this is a rather broad subject that we are on.

The male brain generally knows what it wants, the only mystery or perhaps unknown would be how it arriveds at that conclusion and what the decision tree would be.

I'm happy to try and give a male prospective but I think perhaps the topic would need some more elaboration as to what the query is....

Tis indeed!
Hi Kev, Hi Rinski
Any informations you divulge Kev about men goes to the vault..

Rinski, you raised an interesting point in that she believes women to be no more complex than men. I think oestrogen and testosterone play a different song.

I've read novels by guys like Nick Hornby, and of course he's from the world, so maybe therein lies a big difference. And I'm not even sure what my actual query is!

I live with my folks; and how my father reacts and how I react to any given situation will always be different, beyond personality differences. It's not a bad or good thing, it's just a thing.

So you say Kev the male brain generally knows what it wants, but not necessarily why? Is that fair to say?

In comparison, for myself only, I would say that what I want changes all the time depending on the time and circumstance, often completely out of my control. I arrive at metaphorical destinations, suitcase in hand, tumbleweed blowing by, big sign announcing "You Have Arrived", and I'm thinking 'Where? And why?'

Bear %}

We never said that it would be easy! :) Sorry Kev.

Can we realistically try to decipher what a "male" wants? Or for that matter what a "female" wants? I don't think so. What I'm taking to task is all those outlets that "tell us" that men are simple to work out. And that girls that are the complex ones. I don't think so. I haven't worked them out yet. I certainly haven't worked myself out yet either. How can "society" break it down and simplify it for us. That's what I'm saying anyway. But I'll gladly comply if you want to say differently? Bear or Kev? ;)

I think you're right Rinsk, it's on a case by case basis!

Yeah sorry, I don't want my comment to be the conversation stopper. It's still a very intriguing subject. So please debate on.... do you think if we do break each of us down we want the same things? Or close to the same things? Male or female? The question is - how honest do each of us want to get to see if we are?? hehe!

a wise man once said, "if women know the power they had...but they think with their hearts and not their head" This has always been my favourite poem from my absolutely favourite poet.