Happy International Women’s Day to you and to all the wonderful women in our lives: the ones who we learn from, dance with, who stand by us every day, whom we admire from afar and whose shoulders we cry on.
This is a poem I wrote for IWD21. Word of warning about the profanity in it…
—
Sticks and Stones
They called her
princess when she was young and malleable
good girl when she listened
babe when her breasts grew
bimbo when they made her small
They called her
liar when her story didn’t match theirs
slut when she said yes
to enjoying sex before marriage
sweetie and love in the boardroom
although her knowledge rivalled theirs
angry woman when she spoke up for herself
They called her
queen when she married
old maid if she stayed single
damaged goods when she’d suffered
bitch when she dared tell the truth
hag or old bat when she aged
They called her
butch, belle, lipstick lesbian,
cock tease, cougar, superwoman,
dragon lady, gold digger, welfare queen
She wondered what titles they gave
to those who didn’t have a womb
or who lived in binary code
The women she knew were
skin and bone and flesh
neither monsters nor saints
nor fairytale witches
Women, singing small songs of hope
tenderly, fiercely,
ascending into their power.
—
Tonight I’ll be reading Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry. She’s always a top pick on International Women’s Day. I just noticed our spaniel’s tail snuck into my photo!
Happy reading / watching / putting your feet up after a long day,
Nillu xoxo