(In Memoriam Marina Tsvetayeva, Anna Wickham, Sylvia Plath, Shakespeare¹s sister, etc., etc.) br br The best slave br does not need to be beaten. br She beats herself. br br Not with a leather whip, br or with stick or twigs, br not with a blackjack br or a billyclub, br but with the fine whip br of her own tongue br & the subtle beating br of her mind br against her mind. br br For who can hate her half so well br as she hates herself? br & who can match the finesse br of her self-abuse? br br Years of training br are required for this. br Twenty years br of subtle self-indulgence, br self-denial; br until the subject br thinks herself a queen br & yet a beggar - br both at the same time. br She must doubt herself br in everything but love. br br She must choose passionately br & badly. br She must feel lost as a dog br without her master. br She must refer all moral questions br to her mirror. br She must fall in love with a cossack br or a poet. br br She must never go out of the house br unless veiled in paint. br She must wear tight shoes br so she always remembers her bondage. br She must never forget br she is rooted in the ground. br br Though she is quick to learn br & admittedly clever, br her natural doubt of herself br should make her so weak br that she dabbles brilliantly br in half a dozen talents br & thus embellishes br but does not change br our life. br br If she's an artist br & comes close to genius, br the very fact of her gift br should cause her such pain br that she will take her own life br rather than best us. br br & after she dies, we will cry br & make her a saint.