“Mantua, 1606” – 2nd Place, Raynes Poetry Competition
- “Mantua, 1606” Second Place, Raynes Poetry Competition judged by Joan Larken. Published in Jewish Currents, Spring 2015.
“Mantua, 1606”
2nd Prize, 2014 Raynes Poetry Competition, Joan Larkin, Judge
Jewish Currents, April 2014
His Grace, Duke Gonzaga, exempted
Salomoni Rossi Hebreo,respected court musician and composer,
from wearing the mandatory Jews’
Yellow Badge of Shame
Rossi always kept tucked
in his sleeve as he walked
from Mantua’s ghetto to the court
he fingered it like his viol,
polyphonic voices winding
in his head singing
the badge of shame was pride
no badge of shame was shame
no badge of shame was pride
the badge of shame was shame
as he walked
the no-man’s land between
the ghetto and the court
© 2013 Michael Jackman