the woman I am

one of the first poems I wrote, one of the handful I brought with me to the cafe, dusted it off and brought it back cause of something I just read

I won't be buried in choices, chained by vanity.

No fainting, feigning, fawning female here.

You'll have to look beyond my un-styled hair

And the face that isn't made up.

This is me.

I am bare feet, books and blue skies.

I am blue jeans, boots and my warm, wool sweater.

I am able and willing to learn things for myself.

I will build on the strengths of the women who came before.

I will feed armies, and carry babies, and kill spiders--

When I need to.

And I will teach my daughters to be strong.

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'the woman I am'
Emily B,
Refreshing to simply be, to just live, breathe, feel, work...because it is necessary.
There is a time and a place for every season of one's life.
Live and learn...who do we need to please? Hard lesson I would rather not take.
The last three lines worked for me;
"I will feed armies, and carry babies, and kill spiders..
When I need to.
And I will teach my daughters to be strong."
Hard work and consistency are in building ourselves, our children and sometimes others.
Bless you,
Kathy

[Emily B]

I had forgotten this one. I miss that young poet. Her voice had so much light in it.

[Corset]

We have a lot in common, except I won't kill a spider, if it's too big to balance on a sheet of paper , I will somehow capture it and throw it outside, I won't kill it because I'm afraid , I won't kill it because I should be a Tibetan Monk and that commercial where the monk sneezes into the tissue that kills 99% of bacteria pretty much defines my outlook on nature, but I will, with no qualms whatsoever swat a mosquito! lol! Hows that for hypocrisy?

[Emily B]

i have evolved a little since those days, i rescued a centipede from the ladies restroom at work last week, spiders are safe as long as they stay in their corners

[h d e rushin]

"I am bare feet, books and blue skies"

or fundamental, smart and heavenly, and a killer of spiders, when the need arises.
my kind of woman.....dana

[ba_mcfarlane]

Every word carries weight, no word is wasted, this liturgy of womanhood, this mystery revealed that men like me still don't quite understand...perfect.

[therisa]

How I wish my mother spoke, with such a strong clarion voice, while embracing me, as her daughter.

[Emily B]

i learned the strong voice on my own, sometimes the weather changes and i get completely sideways just like anybdy else

[therisa]

Sigh. Yet some never learn to speak with that strong voice.

[Emily B]

your voice will be clarion

[therisa]

One can only hope.

[...]

. your daughters are very lucky ... you speak of a divine resilience ... and an internal beauty ... this is the anthem of the quintessential woman ... and it is perhaps because your existence is truly poetic that you write such amazingly beautiful and powerful poetry ...

[raining]

Rythm is good, the words speak well down the page, you got said what you wanted to say. It is another poem written well amid the many that have come before. Thanks, always nice to read your poetry. raining

[paul]

smiles and laughter... the effects of your words
this is fantastic... the rhythm, perfect.

[A.A.Romanczuk]

Willful..strong..beautiful...no less feminine...confident..sweet..You speak for many women..You give many women who are not so wrong..the hope and the strength and the thumbs up to be who they are...You are incredible...this is...awe-inspiring