Origin Stories – Jess Parker

Origin Stories
Origin Story v_2
About Origin Story v_2
    Origin Story v_2
    by Jess Parker 


    It was She that brought the first He
                    and the many after. Man enveloped
                                    by woman (contained by) and set
                                    loose when ready.
 
                                   Otherwise, where would the ‘w’ sneak
                                   through with its many elbows— or the ‘o’
                                                   an ancient infinity symbol, turning,
                                                   starting itself over. A portal where one
                                                   might jump to other worlds for eternity.
 
                                                                  The ‘s’ in She with its many curves,
                                                                  blinding, is a path that, though winding,
                                                                  will get him there. He may enter but first
                                                                  must pass through her and be delivered.
 
                                                 Forget a rib, it was a womb that started this!
                                                As if abbreviated, foreshadowing the first ‘m’.
 
                                Where he slept, fed, and woke up glistening
                 which also brings us to listening but that’s a
    story to follow how we got from her to him. 

Origin Stories – Origin Story v_2

This poem germinated for decades. As a child listening to sermons in church, I often imagined re-writing them. Later, as an adult, this poem became my rewriting of the biblical origin story in a way that matched my intuition. I imagined the traditional origin story as a Word document that I could open on my laptop, edit, rename, and save. Partway through writing the poem, it became a linguistic exercise. I wanted to break the most basic language down to the letter to prove that all life originates from women. 

BIO

Jess Parker Origin Stories
Jess Parker

Jess L Parker is a poet and strategist from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Jess lives in Fitchburg, WI with her husband and two-year-old son. Her debut poetry collection, Star Things, won the 2020 Dynamo Verlag Book Prize. Jess’ poems have appeared in Bramble, Kosmos Quarterly, Blue Heron Review, and elsewhere. Jess holds a B.A. of English and Spanish from Northern Michigan University, an M.A. of Spanish Literature from UW-Madison, and an MBA.

Links:

www.jesslparker.com

instagram and twitter: @jessleapoetry

Gyroscope Review Spring 2023 Issue Now Available

Previous Origin Stories

April 1 – Wanda Praisner

April 2 – Howard Lieberman

April 3 – L. Shapley Bassen

April 4 – Sharon Scholl

April 5 – Stellasue Lee

April 6 – Jeanne DeLarm

April 7 – Virginia Smith

April 8 – Patricia Ware

April 9 – Mary Makofske

April 10 – Ann Wallace

April 11 – Jessica Purdy

April 12 – Lakshman Bulusu

April 13 – Kim Malinowski

April 14 – Anita Pulier

April 15 – Martha Bordwell

April 16 – Anastasia Walker

April 17 – Annette Sisson

April 18 – Shaheen Dil

April 19 – Claudia Reder

April 20 – Cathy Thwing

April 21 – Sarah Snyder

April 22 – Susan Barry-Schultz

April 23 – Laurie Kuntz

April 24 – Maryann Hurtt

April 25 – Yvonne Zipter

Previous NPM celebrations from Gyroscope Review

Let the Poet Speak! 2022

Promopalooza 2021

Poet of the Day 2020

Poets Read 2019

National Poetry Month Interview Series 2018

Book Links Party 2017

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About National Poetry Month

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