Inessential am I
ghost of a woman
burden avoidance
Imperfect am I
each flaw a step
towards deepening blue
And yet, I exist
purpose unknown
shadow dancing.
(Image: Self-portrait)
Category: women’s issues
Coming of Age
Green eyes captivate,
he whispers, warm hand
resting on youthful thigh
Stomach somersaults
reviled by whiskey breath
yellowed fingers clutching
Not these eyes! I stand
tossing my drink in his face;
coming of age moment.
Corporate Inequality
Wore green shoes –
a shock of colour
to highlight business –
attire aimed to succeed.
Walked ten blocks
rode fourteen floors
passed security,
heels continually clicking.
Navigating male-dominated
passages, I was driven
ignored patronizing comments
exercised for corporate ladder
But the lies, the betrayal,
the dirty little secrets,
they taunted me –
sold me out in back rooms
Broke under pressure
vile accusations, improper
propositions – How did
gender equate with progress
How did firmness of pert
breasts, the flash of muscled
calves, exempt me from rising –
Why should my efforts fall short
By refusals to drop my panties
and who could I go to –
boss and boss’s boss
all male, in on the plots
Big business banking –
financially fruitful
personally demoralizing –
I walked away, morals intact.
(For Reena’s Exploration Challenge:featured image. Sexual harassment was rampant during the 70’s and 80’s. Although we have known progress, the struggle for equality continues.)
Shallow Measures
Didn’t have to say it –
read between the lines,
the “and you too”
as an afterthought
pathetic attempt to
cover truth – ugly
I was, unlike sisters
whose beauty raved
Only in flashbacks,
time gifting objectivity
do I see it wasn’t true –
depth shines through.
(Image from personal collection.)
Mind Games
What harbinger is this
and why am I not convinced?
Cynicism wants concretes,
feeds complaints,
exaggerates,
retreats
Need to confront
this wall-building,
fight to retain
Spirit’s message –
deescalate fear’s grip.
(For Reena’s Exploration challenge#119. Image from personal collection.)
Window Cleaning
Married addiction
adopted denial
settled for basics
Espoused spirituality
ignored infidelity,
pulled down the blinds.
Believed compassion
could compensate
for indifference.
Limited my outlook
to windows, too insecure
to de-smudge the pane.
Missed the gaping doorways,
the blatant rudeness
of belligerent disrespect
Till withdrawal prompted
accountability, commanded
ownership, changed the lock.
(Image from personal collection.)
I Am Eve
I am Eve
living with accusations
storage full
Commissioned to clear
the backlash of parked myths –
vessels in need of repair
The path is uneven
littered with stones thrown,
still I proceed, plan
Patriarchy stands by
smugly vilifying
I am the snake
Deceit my foe
control my folly
battling a lost cause
Till rebirth redefines
innocence, grabs
serpent by the tail.
(Image from personal collection.)
Eating Wiener Schnitzel
He craves Wiener Schnitzel
and egg rolls –
complicated request –
they settle on
Austrian, forgo
the Chinese.
Noise of the place
disconcerts her –
rather be home
or somewhere quieter
(though she’d never say),
insecurity slides in
as resentment
pulls up a chair –
How is she dining here
with indifference?
Restaurants take her back
when the heat of the kitchen
consumed her –
yelled orders,
yelled at,
rush to cater
tip or no tip
A real education,
her Father said,
but sore feet and
a broken back
left her none the wiser
Stuffiness of ochre walls,
brocade upholstery
close in, reminder
of former lovers,
She doesn’t even like milk-fed calf
Mind wanders to other walls,
now crumbled, remnants
of dreams, boundaries
set when pup- like
loyalty won hearts,
shattered her own.
So many failures
she is ashamed
feels like a stray
living off scraps
It’s a rocky path
she travels these days
solid ground a forgotten
concept, teetering
on brink of flight
no legs to carry her
Resigns herself
to Wiener Schnitzel
convinced that compromise
matters more than
personal fulfillment –
Takes a bite of baby cow and smiles.
(Eating Wiener Schnitzel first appeared here November 2016. This edition is edited. Image from personal collection.)
It’s Time, Women
It’s time to resurrect
our confidence,
recapture the sensitivity
of intuitive knowing,
acknowledge the power
of our resiliency;
we are women
merciful companions
healers attending
Divinity’s passage,
peace-seekers
directing life’s journey.
Too long have we equated
self-esteem with
patriarchal agendas,
disappointed with
our inability to meet
media standards,
blamed ourselves
for divorce,
disease,
staying home
to raise the children.
It’s time to honour
our strength, restore
feminine worth,
align our resources,
we are iron grace,
mindful caregivers,
mate with intention,
our vulnerability,
our sensuality,
aspects of intrinsic
wisdom, we are
keepers of the dream
beings steeped
in mystery:
it is time.
(This poem originally appeared October, 2017. Image from personal collection.)
Looks Matter
Like Mary Quant
sister had the look –
groomed in etiquette,
poise and fine dining
while my boyish antics
merited mixology prep
one destined for the catwalk
the other a life of servitude
She was swank,
I was bistro.
(Image from personal collection)
