Chitra Ganesh, How to Assemble a Flying Car (detail), 2018, linocut on tan BFK Rives. Courtesy of the artist & Durham Press.
Body and Soul
There is a joke it goes in Greece
that summer there was a futbol
match and the husband had
lost his lady. BITCH he shouted
after her WHORE WOMAN HEY YOU
BITCH. Greece is civilized
the cop said call your wife
by name. I can’t the man
said. Call her name
the cop said. Not allowed
the man said. Call her name I said the cop
said if you don’t the man said in the Greek futbol
stadium he said
ELEUTHERIAAAAAAAAA
Olga Broumas is the author of numerous books of poetry, including Beginning With O (Yale University, 1977) and Sappho’s Gymnasium (Copper Canyon, 2000). She is currently the Poet-in-Residence as well as the Director of Creative Writing at Brandeis University. (updated 6/2010)