Excerpts From A Study Guide

Teach him not to seek Where he has been taught to find... *** Lead him into the land Of silences—Ignore his words of praise Where all the perfidy hides... *** Because the climax of a dream Is its return to reality, let him cling To your laughter, to your eyes that shine of light... *** Make him study the gilt of gold Against the wan brown of your skin but let him choose... *** Exhibit your flawless arms Dearest child of 1984—no vaccination mark Nothing to remind him of his Maari or small pox... *** Lead him to count the moles On your skin but force him to begin With the beauty spot above your lips... *** Talk to him of that summer of chickenpox That left you almost unscathed, but show him The unbeautiful gash where metal seared eight-year skin... *** Tell him the history of your Raphunzel hair That tickled your shins. And of a cruel world that sapped You, so your hair cannot reach down to cover your shame... *** Press his ears against your skin And hear him announce—the dance Is in the bones, the dance is in the blood... *** He shall chart and plot And map, but shrewd girl Bring him up to worship you... *** Allow him to memorize all of you So that, some day, he shall ravish you Screaming fiery love-words in your mother-tongue... *** He would have Learnt your lesson, by then...