Mama and Maria by Boulder Poet Lyrics

Mama and Maria Callas
had fantastic voices:
from the rumble to the scream,
Scylla and Charibydis
all in one bodice,
no man could escape them,
“no man would ever bring me low.”

Mama and Callas the bull goddesses
resolution raged in strong breasts,
together they climbed:
from the foot of the basso
to the rock of contralto
sure in each step
as they scaled the heights of soprano.

But both had dead fathers
like a hard bitter Odysseus
took steel to the girls,
and the bulls lay blooded and torn.
Then came the sailor boys,
wanting yet frightened,
hands could have touched
the magical singing maidens
but instead hammered in the blades,
the blood ran til it stopped
crack went the mountain,
down fell the goddesses in a rock slide
of infidelities, drinking and thieving,
until the singing stopped.

Mama and Maria in the mirror:
Long black hair, olive skin,
eyes mascara-ed like coal,
big full lips, open mouths
spoke long the magic to boys.

Back when speaking
was like singing
was like the dripping
of blood.