Posted
September 23rd, 2012
by
On 13 September, English PEN launched ‘Poems for Pussy Riot‘ in support of three members of the Russian punk band - Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich – who are currently serving a two year prison sentence. We will be posting poems dedicated to Nadezdha, Maria and Yekaterina in the weeks leading up to their appeal hearing on 1 October.
The following contribution comes from writer and bookseller Jen Campbell.
Vaginaland
The girl stands and opens
her mouth until it is
the same size as her body.
Her eyes are purple.
She has words to fire out
from deep inside of her, and
they are blue.
They are raw.
She has been baked
as a blackberry pie and
now everyone wants a piece
of her.
The girl says she can sit
behind some half-broken
window and turn herself
inside out. They gape.
Purple roots like the capitals
of countries.
She says: this is the capital of me.
Poems for Pussy Riot posts
Poems for Pussy Riot – an introduction to the project
Abridged and Complete Biography of Olympe de Gouge: Claire Trévien
Women of the Year: Betty Doyle
Weapons of Minor Destruction: Sandra Alland
Our Glorious Leader Putin: Jack Underwood
Avoid using the word “pussy”: Charlotte Geater
Poem with Four Vaginal Walls: Mark Burnhope
Sheela na gig (deconstructed): Sarah Crewe
Dance of the Seven Veils: Alison Croggon
Vox Populi (A poem for voices): Steve Heighton
The Eye of the Needle: Aoife Mannix
