Widows walk for M lady Dani

story poem

 

 

Widows Walk

 

 

She walks upon her balcony

at eventide to take the air.

Rigid rules of propriety

Ensure a woman does not dare.

 

Be seen in public on her own

 without her husband by her side.

She is condemned to walk

to take the air at eventide.

 

Although she’s not a widow yet

and lives in hope he will return.

The rigid rules she can’t forget.

No matter how much she may yearn

 

 to engage in society.

 But in her day it was not done.

The rules of her community

ensure she must remain alone.

 

But times have changed, we have moved on

and women are entitled to

 be seen in public on their own.

 If that is what they wish to do.

 

No longer seen as less than men.

A move towards equality.

But things were different way back when

no woman could be truly free.

 

No woman now can be possessed.

Owned as a chattel by her man.

In that at least we have progressed.

Which only goes to show we can

 

discard rules which no longer serve

as guardians of morality

 and treat women as they deserve

 as independent entities.   18-Apr-08