Materna

3.  Nominative: Instrumental

                 "An instrumental noun is one that is used to accomplish 
                  something (as the instrument of the action)."


By means of what is a child made;
and is it always made in the same way?

                                                   Do you want to play
                                                   doctor, said the first one.

You didn't know yet about rhetorical
questions, only how these drive

                                                   with no destination other than
                                                   what they already want and will not ask

permission for. 
I have wanted to try and explain

                                                    despite the risk of being 
                                                    heard only as apology,

the desires of women being 
stoppered into a few old flasks—

                                                     Lately, it's come back again, 
                                                     this phrase,

the life of the mind.
I remember being told 

                                                      You don't want to wake up
                                                      one day to see

reflected back to you 
only those surface features—
   
                                                     You wanted something
                                                     sharper than a chisel, than cheekbones.