The Chorus Line : A Rope-Jumping Rhyme
“we are the maids
the ones you killed
the ones you failed
we danced in air
our bare feet twitched
it was not fair
with every goddess, queen , and bitch
from there to here
you scratched your itch
we did much less
than what you did
you judged us bad
you had the spear
you had the word
at your command
we scrubbed the blood
of our dead
paramours from floors, from chairs
from stairs, from doors,
we knelt in water
while you stared
at our bare feet
it was not fair
you licked our fear
it gave you pleasure
you raised your hand
you watched us fall
we danced on air
the ones you failed
the ones you killed.”
Taken from The Penelopiad 2005, Canongate.
The maids were of course the young girls who helped Penelope spin her endless threads, the abused, raped and disenfranchised women of Odysseus’ court. Well they got hung in a line. Atwood is very good on mythos.
Chris Murray 