winged victory of samothrace
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Pythokritos, early second century, Parian marble
At the very end of The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey
relinquishes the hold of her steed summons the brimstone polishes her old frenzy’s ghosts against the wishes of a timid woman’s worries, bounds two octaves for the glories of Icarus for the supper table invocation for the pot of greens only her savior could throw a ham hock into for the empty bellies of all those crying for cries into the watchful dusk for all the names she gives the night for all night could refuse to call her— call her grimoire call her trouble call her weeping call her diva, a new Nike— call for freedom call for fury call for furnace call for three boys, no, four— burn the loom slash the stitches rip the silk loose the feathers ink the text— a sparrow seen a nest of coins a payment given a call collect a payphone, victory lady a busted joint a wretched penance from whence she might just flee fly spring jump, darling, jump— & of the sun, steals it. |
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Note: “Winged Victory of Samothrace” is occasioned by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey’s “Fly Like A Bird,” from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005).
Willie Kinard III is a poet, performer & creative strategist forged of South Carolina thunderstorms. With words in or forthcoming in WILDNESS, Crab Fat Magazine, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, & elsewhere, he is currently an MFA candidate in the Creative Writing program at the University of Pittsburgh. Willie also serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief at Hot Metal Bridge & a producer of the podcast [in brackets].