Madonna's Hometown Paper Prints Literary Poem About Her

Madonna’s hometown paper, the Bay Times, has done a story about a poem written about her called “O Madonna,” written by a San Francisco poet named Peter Reynosa. The poem is done in a traditional literary style. And it does not deal with her pop fame, her thespianism, nor does it even relate to her singing career. The poem focuses on talking about her attacking tradition, being the embodiment of feminism, discussing her sexuality, and then ending with praise for her religious belief in mysticism.

Madonna may be known for many things, from being the Queen of Pop, to having a less than stellar acting career, but she has also developed into a persona related to some very important issues of our times, and the poem seems to aim at bringing those subjects to life. “I didn’t want the poem to focus on the trivial part of her, but to try to get the poem to elevate her into a truly literary work,” Reynosa said. “This is not a fan poem, but a critical poem.” 

For people who love traditional-style poetry, this poem will be a treat. And for Madonna fans it will also be a treat, even though Reynosa is at times critical of some of her persona, especially when it relates to her sexuality. With such lines as: “What be thee? Satan without angelic fall? Or, tragic Damsel-virgin pining for true-love all?” it is obvious this is a poem that is not afraid to be critical in a fair way. And yet, overall, this poem is a compliment. “Just to have a poem written about you is almost always something good and complimentary,” Reynosa has said.

The poem can be seen below.

                                 O  MADONNA

                                    O Madonna

Child-orphan of Catholicism, ogress-daughter of pagan rites:

   Ye be the destroyer of ancient rituals of Vatican’s bygone might.

Tory and Bourbon aghast in despair! For through treacherous   

     Heresy and irreverent mocking galore

   Ye threaten consecrated tradition and genteel serenity

     Of misty-miraculous yore.

Custom and Convention of sacred Commandments burn

     Inglorious by thy pyre and flame

   As shrines lay in ruins and temples be pillaged and maimed.

The Old World crumbles as thou castrates dying Lords,

     Maniacally charging Bastille’s fortress-home, while daring

       Even the impudent sacking of Rome,

   Leaving all yearning for cessation to unholy violating

     Of most pious of domes.

                                   O Madonna

Scourge of Man! Blasphemeress of patriarchy! Rebel of

     Male chauvinism’s unrighteous reign!

   Liberator of women-serfs forever trampled underfoot

     By slavery-oppression’s anguished pain.

Ye be the mystical body of feminism: valiant in words and valorous in deeds,

   Oft that be the true roots of such opprobrium for thy mutinous creeds.

Adam slayer──Chattel denier──breaker of Civilization’s

     Most inviolable of gender taboos:

   Causing empires and dynasties to fall as both Occident and Orient

     Learn of Eve’s most subversive and traitorous of coups.

Procreation rights! Suffragist uprisings! Marches against inegalitarian  plights!

   Ye be the most wretched demoness of all males’ frights: a thorn to Kings,

     And to Princes scalding plague of heathen Black Knight.

                                    O Madonna

High priestess of sexual debauchery! Icon of eroticism amongst the

     Carnally damned! Queen of the Sodomites!

   Trifling thou art of sensual travels in eerie flight that echo nil

     To the gods of Gothicism and cursed animals finite.

Yet freedom from forbidden fruit be glorious rapture when worldliness

     Be save Puritan smugness of shameful sin.

   ──So when siren becomes seductress then mistress to tearing

     Asunder Victorian’s false foreskin, Lady Gwen then rises

       To most nobility from within.

Still, vulgarism and materialism devouring meat and bones 

     Be but blind pleasure-seeking lust,

   And in this endeavor the sins of Judas-Saint be appallingly

     Transparent evils of disgust.

Lewd in revelry, Bacchanalian in wine and will, unrepentant

     For not desiring the heart to profoundly feel:

   What be thee? Satan without angelic fall? Or, tragic

     Damsel-virgin pining for true-love all?

                                    O Madonna

Yet, one Savior arises, one Redeemer doth come,

   From whence Salvation may breathe light for atonement therefrom.

It is thy longing for the invisible not of this clime,

     Nor of this place, nor of this time:

   Yes! Cabalism──Sufism──Occultism! O Mystic, praise thee!

     O Mahatma, sublime! O Yogi, enlighten of otherworldly divine.

World-soul of cryptic mystery beyond attributes and names,

     Beyond reason or science’s ability ever to tame:

   Yes, that be thy metaphysical and most noble of aim, one

     Elevating thy stature beyond provincial-pitiable fame.

Orgasms of Orgasms! Writhing in ecstasy beyond madness and sin:

   O Madonna, if this be Allah and Brahma, I be

     Convert and Yang to thy Yin.