#eunicedesouza

[nudeartpluspoetry]

"Meeting Poets," by Eunice de Souza

read by hans ostrom

[victoriamartinezwriter]

Though they were from different eras and countries, American Elizabeth Harrison (1849-1927; pictured left) and Indian Eunice de Souza (1940-2017; right) both wrote powerfully of human selfishness at Christmas, and a red thread connects their work. "…how, as a rule, are children taught to observe [Christmas]?" Harrison wrote in her 1902 book Christmas-tide. "Usually by expecting an undue amount of attention, an unlimited amount of injudicious feeding, and a selfish exaction of unneeded presents; thus egotism, greed, and selfishness are fostered, where love, generosity, and self-denial should be exercised." More than 75 years later, de Souza depicted the kind of adults this produced in her poem about Christmas "charity", Feeding the Poor at Christmas, which begins: "Every Christmas we feed the poor. We arrive an hour late: Poor dears, like children waiting for a treat. Bring your plates. Don’t move. Don’t try turning up for more." You can read more about both of these talented women writers and their narratives of Christmas in my last article of the year, "Christmas, Written by Women," at https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2018/12/21/christmas-written-by-women/ #Christmas #WomenWriters #ElizabethHarrison #EunicedeSouza #WriteAboutWomen #Literature #Poetry #ChristmasLiterature #ChristmasPoetry https://www.instagram.com/p/BrskB6vATVu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ubx87hko6c9y

[sharonirani]

This day. This verse. How does one laugh and cry at the same time? #EuniceDeSouza, Learn from the Almond Leaf, Poetrywala, 2016.

[susegadnz]

For Rita’s Daughter, Just Born

13 Luminous new leaf 

May the sun rise gently

 on your unfurling

 in the courtyard

 always linger 

the smell of earth after rain

 the stone of these steps

 stay cool and cold 

gods in the niches

 old brass on the wall 

never the shrill cry of kites. 

De Souza, Eunice. “For Rita’s Daughter, Just Born”. The Oxford Indian Anthology of Twelve Modern Indian Poets. Ed. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. 121. 

[susegadnz]

Sweet Seventeen

Well, you can’t say they didn’t try. 

Mamas never mentioned menses. 

A nun screamed: You vulgar girls don’t say brassières say bracelets. 

She pinned paper sleeves onto her sleeveless dresses. 

The preacher thundered: 

Never go with a man alone 

Never alone 

and even if you’re engaged only passionless kisses. 

At sixteen, 

Phoebe asked me: 

Can it happen when you’re in a dance hall I mean, 

you know what, 

getting preggers and all that, 

when you’re dancing?

 I, sixteen, assured her you could

De Souza, Eunice. “Sweet Seventeen”. The Oxford Indian Anthology of Twelve Modern Indian Poets. Ed. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. Oxford. Oxford University Press, 1992. 116. 

[susegadnz]

Catholic Mother

Francis X D’Souza father of the year. 

Here he is top left the one smiling. 

By the grace of God he says we’ve had seven children (in seven years). 

We’re One Big Happy Family 

God Always Provides India will Suffer for her Wicked Ways (these Hindu buggers got no ethics). 

Pillar of the Church says the parish priest 

Lovely Catholic Family says Mother Superior 

The pillar’s wife says nothing.