Power, Finance, Fertility

Reworked a poem while Brendan swam. On occasion his voice peaked up: Lookatme! Lookatme! Seeking approval and reassurance as he jumped off the pool's edge. He loves the danger of sinking, full submersion in the waters, rising with a piercing squeal, then a heavy laugh. •As a result I reworked haltingly on the poem I began recently as a short phrase in a freewrite, self portrait as the golden calf. Quick research revealed important facts I have been overlooking. The calf itself is considered a male deity, cast as a young bull. This echoes the ancient cultures using a male heifer as a status symbol of power, finance, fertility.

My first draft ultimately produced a brief metaphor using a disembodied voice, the disgruntled persona speaking with a heavy tone of rejection. However, what was missing: the sense of story or identity, personality of the writer-self, the purpose behind the voice.