The Wise and Foolish Virgins Grab a lamp. Off we go. Here’s our secret: We are all wise. We go not to meet the bridegroom but to avoid him altogether, for a woman needs a man like a fish needs a camel. We will talk among ourselves about the taste of wine, sharing the bottle, the price of oil, and the lamp that helps us see ahead in the moonless dark. We gather on the edge of the city where we will not be followed by clownish men orating scripture and sin. One day we will outnumber them. Our laughter perfumes the desert, and the dust from our sandals will choke all predators as we return to our rooms and scribble our verses well past midnight.
Donna Pucciani, a Chicago-based writer, has published poetry worldwide in Shi Chao Poetry, Poetry Salzburg, ParisLitUp, Meniscus, Agenda, Gradiva and other journals. Her most recent book of poetry is Edges.
Amethyst Review 