“The Book of Eve,” by Nora Hikari

I had just come across this poem, “origin story,” by Ginny Threefoot this morning. Which in itself is a spectacular poem. And I’m going to try and make space for posting about it. But it reminded me of this poem I read by Nora Hikari back in the fall. “The Book of Eve” (from The Journal Vol 45.2) has such an ecstatic joy to it. An origin story for “girls” that’s so kind and tender about what it must mean being a girl, or feeling the girl inside you. I get emotional just thinking about this poem. It is absolutely ebullient with love.

I mean, the definition of girls is “love-when-it-becomes” or “a girl is a kind of relationship” or it’s “a thing that happens between celestial bodies.” In fact, the poem has such a catalogue for equivalents to “girl,” and every one of them makes this origin story for girls feel like a surprise. As in, SURPRISE! You didn’t even know this exists, but you did, because as soon as you hear it in the poem, it feels like you were supposed to know about this all along. Or that’s what it feels like for me having a daughter and watching her discover the world.

I also appreciate how Hikari pulls that Bible spirit into the poem. The whole “In the beginning” notes. The “I-AM-WITH-YOU” kind of God (where God at one point is even “shone across the face of the water,” just like Genesis!). The girl whose story is being told gets to name trees and fish. For me, Hikari’s poem isn’t just an embrace of “girl,” it’s the affirming warmth that accompanies that embrace!

Quite honestly, Hikari’s poem is one of the reasons I wanted to start this blog. To make space and breathe with spectacular poems. To give props to the editors out there doing the work to find these poems and see them to publicaiton.

Important Links

• Nora Hikari’s Home Page
• The Journal 45.2, where the poem was published