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Back Margery Kempe Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. Biographical Notes
  3. Title Page
  4. INTRODUCTION
  5. MARGERY KEMPE
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. Dedication
  8. Front
  9. PART ONE
  10. 1
  11. 2
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 7
  17. 8
  18. 9
  19. 10
  20. 11
  21. 12
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. PART TWO
  27. 17
  28. 18
  29. 19
  30. 20
  31. 21
  32. 22
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. 25
  36. 26
  37. 27
  38. 28
  39. 29
  40. 30
  41. 31
  42. PART THREE
  43. 32
  44. 33
  45. 34
  46. 35
  47. 36
  48. 37
  49. 38
  50. 39
  51. 40
  52. 41
  53. 42
  54. 43
  55. 44
  56. 45
  57. 46
  58. PART FOUR
  59. 47
  60. 48
  61. 49
  62. 50
  63. 51
  64. 52
  65. 53
  66. 54
  67. 55
  68. 56
  69. MY MARGERY, MARGERY’S BOB

I perform my story by lip-synching Margery’s loud longing but I wonder if that visible self-erasure is just a failure to face L. I want to be a woman and a man penetrating him, his inner walls rolling around me like satin drenched in hot oil, and I want to be the woman and man he continually fucks. I want to be where total freedom is. I push myself under the surface of Margery’s story, holding my breath for a happy ending to my own.

In this novel every sentence is a discrete image of promise. A car door slams; I think it must be L.

Margery is traveling.

•

“Margery, I’d like to send you to Jerusalem and to Rome.”

“Jesus, where will I get the money?”

He stammered, “I’ll be going too . . . We’ll meet in Jerusalem. I’d like to dress you for the trip.” He dropped a stack of coins on the table, enough for a white gown of worsted wool like people wear in heaven, and a veil and wimple. He slid a gold band on her finger and retreated to a three-legged stool to observe the effects of his generosity.

Waving her hand above her head like a flag, Margery laughed with victory. At that time, a visit to Jerusalem guaranteed direct admission to heaven, so what could tear Margery and Jesus apart? She was intensely relieved and ready for all kinds of action. This trip would be their honeymoon. She was traveling towards the youth of her own body, towards freedom and fame. Her joy welled up, so potent she had to lie down and attend it, dizzy and drunk. Jesus didn’t like his life; she would know what to do with his beauty and wealth and in the process make both of them happy.

•

Margery settled her debts and also John’s, as she had agreed to do. She said good-bye to John, who wept bitterly, and to her anchorite confessor, who raised a crooked finger and predicted she would have trouble with her maid but a broken-backed man would escort her wherever she wanted to go—and it did happen that way.

It was early January, 1414. Margery joined a regular party of pilgrims because it was not safe to travel alone. They went to Norwich and then on to Yarmouth. The clouds were only slightly lighter and larger than the boulders they resembled and they rumbled across the sky. The pilgrims booked passage across the North Sea. Africans made up a quarter of the crew. Vs of pelicans slid through the air. The group planned to go overland to Venice, from there sail to Jerusalem and back again, and then head south to Rome. Tours to the Holy Land were well organized. The ship docked next day in a town called Zierikzee, in Zealand.

PART TWO

The Jerusalem Journey

Thou hast gouyn me drynkyn ful many tymes wyth teerys of thyn eye.

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