The poem “I Am Accused of Tending to the Past” delineates the interdependent relationship between history and the past. The past is out of the control of any one individual; accordingly, the speaker’s claim of neither making nor sculpting the past is logical considering that by the time that the speaker was born there was a past that influenced his/ or her life. Perhaps, the only aspect that a human being can tend to, is the future, and the tending could occur through present actions that have a direct impact on the future. The personification of the Past, which means the past can communicate, remember and travel just like human beings, underscores the pervasive nature of the past in the present life.
A close reading of “Poem to My Uterus” denotes that the poem is about a woman who is about to lose her uterus. Arguably, due to the line “ they want to cut you out”, it could be due to a health issue such as cancer. The speaker, who is a woman, values the uterus as it is a critical component of her womanhood. Accordingly, the removal of the womb, which has been patient, meaning that the womb is personalized, is a distressing experience for the woman. The womb defines the woman’s life entirely as it has enabled her to bear children. Clearly, after the removal of the womb, which is the speaker’s “ black bag of desire”, the speaker’s life will not be like it was before. The speaker’s situation mirrors that of other women who are forced to undergo operations to removal their wombs due to deadly diseases such as uterus cancer. Cancer has adverse repercussions on women’s experiences.
The poem “Wishes For Sons” is paradoxical as the speaker wishes that the sons would experience biological processes and undertake activities, such as cramps, use of tampons, wearing of skirts, hot flashes and visiting gynaecologists, that are inherent in women. The paradox in the poem is aimed at criticizing the egotism of men. The haughtiness hinders men from holding women in high regard, and in worst case scenarios, triggers men to mistreat woman due to their biological sex. Women and girls have a claim on men’s respect .
