A Woman's Soul

What makes a Saint?

A woman’s divinity

        wrapped only in virginity

The mere idea that she is soiled,

        all her virtue is somehow spoiled

To be considered a worthy saint

        the main attraction, her restraint

Forever must she be pure and whole

        before we revere the woman’s soul?

Author's Note

I mean no disrespect. Raised (and still) Catholic, this is just something I never understood.

Reviews

[Angel]

I never understood this either. It seems to me that we ought to celebrate our capacity to love...
Having a normal, loving, sexual relationship with a husband does not take away from the beauty of being a woman...rather, I think it adds to it.
What makes a saint? In my humble opinion, the love and patience and wisdom one needs to raise children, and to deal with all the complexities of family life. This is what makes a woman a saint, in my mind...not wrapping oneself in "virtue" like some sort of Ice Princess...no disrespect intended.
Yeah, this is one of those pieces that makes me go 'hmmmmm"...
Great write, I really enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing!

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you for putting so much thought into your review, Angel. This is, for me, an example of my Church's "double standard", and it has always made me wonder.

[Kristin Lee]

Ah the eternal question...why does it always come down to the woman? Great write up! I love the tenderness in your words as you speak about virtue and the temptations placed upon the soul.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Kristin.

[Marie]

I thought a woman couldn't be a saint unless she was a virgin, but I thought about it some more and realized you were right.

[Rita L. Sev]

Of course, there are a few female saints who were not virgins (St. Rita, in fact) but such a fuss is made over the "pure" ones, with never a mention of the male saints and their status... Thanks for reading!

[Marie]

I was thinking more of St. Mary and St. Mary Magdalene.

[Chris]

Rather a cheap and fully unfair shot at every woman - regardless of faith, isn't it? And men are applauded ... seems the times really haven't changed all that much - about MANY perceptions.

[Rita L. Sev]

Yep. Exactly the point; double standards still abound, even in spiritual matters, where they shouldn't matter at all.

[lolawants]

wow this is so good :)

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you!

[James Hanna-Magill]

Dear Rita

I thought it was high time I popped over and had a look at some more of your writing.

Knowing a little more about you now, I scrolled down your list of titles and was intrigued to find this 'A Woman's Soul'

I have always been interested in the notion of self-perception.

And I thought it even more engaging to hear a woman talk generically about the soul of her own gender.

So what do I find when I open the page?

1) A tightly structured linguistic gem, redolent of the English teacher you are:

* A single eight line stanza

* Rhyming couplets

* A form where you inset every second line, as if in novelistic fashion so that the rhyme is demonstrable

* A steady beat with lines of equal length

2) Theme / meaning / content /philosophy:

You may have noticed by now that this is my hunting ground and where I take most pleasure in reading others writing.

You lead us in with an introductory question in quotes:

'What makes a Saint?'

Then I enter the piece to see if you are about to answer your own question or whether you want the reader to or both.

What you actually do is make three statements to answer your own question, before asking the reader another, almost as if you to check if you have got ten out of ten for answering your initial question correctly (that with a warm smile to the English teacher and kind person you are):

'Forever must she be pure and whole
before we revere the woman’s soul?'

There is a whole gender thing going on here which is of common parlance.

What constitutes the notion of a man and a woman?

How do we define them?

I am not being sexist - interestingly enough whatever that word means - but it underlies this piece.

This is purely my own perception of how the world, whether erroneously or not seems to me to think.

Women: Beautiful, soft-hearted, likes furry animals, winsome, pure, clean, chaste - the whole biblical notion that even extends to having a period in the Old Testament made a woman untouchable

Men: Handsome, rugged, brave, strong, courageous, but not necessarily that pure or clean - actually a rogue is OK too. Don Juan?

I find perception amusing - the whole art of definition of self or by others.

There is the nineteenth century idea underlying this in relation to the act of sex, that the woman must never sleep around but the man can have as many mistresses as he likes.

I disparage definition.

We are who we are, men or women.

Why should either sex be defined differently?

After all we are all human beings.

The sole distinguishing features, do correct me of I am wrong, are those of genitalia, reproduction and hormones.

I think that broadly covers it!

I like the way in which you approach this age old question.

There is something here of a parcel wrapped up neatly in a pink ribbon.

An artful way of posing a single question.

'What makes a Saint?'

Several answers in my book:

1) Knowing that you aren't one anymore than anyone else;
2) Covering other people's backs before you cover your own - being therefore a giver and not a user;
3) Doing unto others as you would they do unto you;
4) Loving others 'as' we love ourselves, not 'more than' biblically; and
5) Demonstration of love to fellowman

And that whatever our gender.

Well Rita you did ask the question.

Whatever your own answer, I have just given you the answer you have requested of me as reader.

There is something I always find attractive about your poetry.

There is an engaging simplicity to it.

Therein I find your unique talent.

Just you.

Rita.

If I ever need cheering up, I shall come and have a look at what you have penned next.

Thank you, let's use this word with all its underlying meaning however clichéd, for a LOVELY poem.

There is much to be said for the word 'lovely'.

Good thing is you don't need to be a saint to qualify!

Enchanted as ever.

Your friend

James

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you so much, James! I did indeed pose the question, "What makes a Saint?" And while I have my own ideas on the topic of true sainthood, I have always been confused by the emphasis my church puts on the purity of women as a qualification for "sainthood". As always, I appreciate your thorough review , and do encourage you to keep checking in!

[James Hanna-Magill]

Thank you Rita

I shall be passing by for a pick-me-up often

Thank you for your friendship

Take care

James

[John Lauterbach]

I once heard sexuality in men vs. women explained as such:

A key that opens all locks is a master key,
A lock that opens for any key is a bad lock.

I think looking at sex as a negative is silly; we're all built for it. But, men have a dominant role in sex vs. women. I think that the woman's submissive pose in natural sex is why they get the double standard. I don't agree with it, but I think that's the origin.

Anyways, back to the writing!
It's fantastic and made me think about/want to discuss the issue. With the last two lines being a question, could you want more?

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you for your thoughtful review, John. I guess it's a question that I have already answered for myself - it seems that most individuals I know feel that this is an unfair double standard - but it also seems that the "Powers that Be" will keep it thus.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

me either ---and you know i was raised catholic also...ridiculous...i like this poem.

[Rita L. Sev]

Thank you, Jacob

[Frieda P]

I'm so with you on this one, good old Catholic girl here too, could never understand this one bit...and the times they hardly are a'changin'...it's still a man's world when it comes to this nonsense. Nice one Rita...

[Rita L. Sev]

Thanks, Frieda - guess this is why I am partial to saints like Mary Magdalene...

[Frieda P]

Yes, I can certainly relate to that, and my pleasure always...