Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Wolf Women

Wolf Woman by artist Carole Bourdo - Ma-Ew-Yakee-
as found at the website www.manataka.org

Ella's prompt at Poets United's Wonder Wednesday is : the Wolf, and how he or she "leads us to the whispers of the wild." Definitely a prompt right up my alley!


Wild Woman carries
the heart of a wolf in her chest.
Its rhythm pulses in time with
her wild sister, who runs,
wraith-like,
through the forest,
stopping under a midnight moon
only long enough
to tip back her head
and howl.

Her true being
only comes alive
within sight and smell
of the sea:
the hackles rise
along her spine,
as she raises her nose
to scent the wind,
determining her direction
by the keening call of the wild.

Wild Woman
belongs to each of us,
and to us all.
She lives in the space
between heartbeats,
and in the thoughts
between words.

Listen for her knowing voice
at your right ear,
whispering: 
"Come, this is the way."

Then follow,
with perfect trust,

for no one knows
better or truer
than the Wild Woman 
Watcher Within.

Wild Woman
moves through
worlds seen and unseen,
emerging at daybreak
to slake her thirst
at the River of Solitude.
At the close of day,
the forest rolls out
a soft carpet
to form her bed.

In between,
you may follow her
when she is Wilding,
but not too close.
Be respectful of her space
and her growl.
And when she shape-shifts
out of sight,
look down quickly -
you may just see
the pawprint
she has left behind.

Wild Woman is the one
that we run from
when we are young
and run home to
when we are old.
She is an ancient singing
through our bones, 
a wise smile,
the Knowing eyes of a
Watcher in the Woods.

If you are quick enough,
you might just spy
the furry tip of her tail
peeking out from
under her billowing robe,
and trailing behind
like moondust.


Follow her,
Embrace her,
for without Wild Woman,
our spirits shrivel up
and begin to die.
With her,
our vision
expands,
and
we learn,
finally
and unfathomably,
to fly.

50 comments:

  1. "Wild Woman is the one
    that we run from
    when we are young
    and run home to
    when we are old."

    I kept choosing different stanzas to quote as I read through. Scrumptious filling poem--this is my new favorite one of yours.

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  2. Ooh, those first two stanzas are my favorite--you've completely captured the spirit of the wolf. Lovely! :)

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  3. "She lives in the space
    between heartbeats,
    and in the thoughts
    between words."

    How do you write so fluidly?!
    Wow......

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  4. "Chest forest" I love your poetic
    mind.

    Synchronicity again: today I built a post with an owl. . . . .(Saturday)


    Aloha from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral

    > < } } ( ° >

    > < } } (°>

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  5. Bravo! I love it, so many wonderful lines~ Gorgeous and I so want to run with her ;D

    I love this stanza:

    " Her true being
    only comes alive
    within sight and smell
    of the sea:
    the hackles rise
    along her spine,
    as she raises her nose
    to scent the wind,
    determining her direction
    by the keening call of the wild."
    Gotta have the sea! I love it Sherry...you have captured the spirit of the wild in a welcoming way ;D Gorgeous~

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  6. Following the trend of choosing stanzas we loved, my original favorite has already been said, and I loved this stanza too.

    Then follow,
    with perfect trust,
    for no one knows
    better or truer
    than the Wild Woman
    Watcher Within.

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  7. I had wondered when I first saw it, your email, I mean, WildWoman2! Now I get it. You take things in your stride very nicely, and you go for it!
    Your verse is fantastic Sherry! Perfect imagery and perfect words all the way and right through! Great!

    Hank

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  8. I, too, kept choosing favorite stanzas, but couldn't choose, as they all build the wisdom of the Watcher Within!

    This has to have been written by one who has learned to open her ears, heart, and mind.

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  9. I really love this poem. It illuminated so much for me. Thank you.

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  10. My friend I needed to read this lovely piece ... and I needed to go to the Manataka site. Thank you. Thank you so much.

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  11. "She lives in the space
    between heartbeats,
    and in the thoughts
    between words."

    I adore this, Sherry!

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  12. So many good lines here. I like that she is the one we run from when we are young and run to when we are old. Beautifully expressed!

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  13. She is in us all, she is us all, if we listen with all of our being.
    When I saw the prompt I knew this was going to be one that you would get your teeth right into and would explore to the fullest it could be.
    Wonderfully expressed as only a true woman of the wild, lover of the sea, trees, earth, sky, other creatures and wolves can Sherry.

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  14. She is in us all, she is us all, if we listen with all of our being.
    When I saw the prompt I knew this was going to be one that you would get your teeth right into and would explore to the fullest it could be.
    Wonderfully expressed as only a true woman of the wild, lover of the sea, trees, earth, sky, other creatures and wolves can Sherry.

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  15. Great line, Sherry. The volumes it holds:

    "Wild Woman is the one
    that we run from
    when we are young
    and run home to
    when we are old."

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  16. very well said
    we all need the wildness we were born to...

    Follow her,
    Embrace her,
    for without Wild Woman,
    our spirits shrivel up
    and begin to die.
    With her,
    our vision
    expands,
    and
    we learn,
    finally
    and unfathomably,
    to fly.

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  17. Beautifully expressed Sherry. Your images seem to shape-shift from the wolf, to the woman, and back again. You have reminded me of the deepest calling,

    Elizabeth

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  18. Lovely Sherry ~ I specially like:

    She is an ancient singing
    through our bones,
    a wise smile,
    the Knowing eyes of a
    Watcher in the Woods.

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  19. I want to run with her...I want to BE her...Loved this.

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  20. To be and run with the Wild Woman...may we all have some part of us we give to the wild...Love this Sherry!!

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  21. Even the poem itself oozes strenght and I suggest we all follow.

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  22. I just knew that with the "wolf" prompt, you would write a brilliant poem, and I was correct! I just love the third stanza, but the entire poem is inspirational. Love it!

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  23. You know I think you're part wolf Sherry and in the best way ... this is wonderful, brilliant - I agree with many others ...
    Thanks for stopping by my elephant blog btw - much appreciated, much

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  24. Oh my - I see now that my predecessors have all said and quoted much of what I would have said and would have quoted - but since I am a bit of a Wild Sister - I shall go ahead and howl
    "brilliant" to each star in the sky and for special notice hold out the following stanza as one that I will carry with me to my dreams. Truly wonderful in a wonderful body of work - or should I say articulated 'being." :)

    Wild Woman is the one
    that we run from
    when we are young
    and run home to
    when we are old.
    She is an ancient singing
    through our bones,
    a wise smile,
    the Knowing eyes of a
    Watcher in the Woods.

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  25. Owooooo! I feel strangely hairier tonight!

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  26. The philosophy of listening to.......!
    It is very well written . I must say ,there is a lot of wisdom hidden in the poem.

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  27. hmm..again, love the nature it holds, the wild spirit. the notion in the end is interesting. how our spirits begin to die without her.. also "She lives in the space
    between heartbeats," - that's such a perfect picture, and she whispers between them.
    It reminded me of a book I wanted to read, but never did, cause at the time it wasn't available in the library..:women who run with wolves..have to check if they have it now. :)

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  28. Love the idea of wild woman living in the space between heartbeats. Wonderful image. And love the idea that a wolf may be the key to finding wings. Simply beautiful.

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  29. smiles...i like that embracing of the wild woman within, with perfect trust, following her lead---i def understand that....her living in the space between heartbeats...ha....very cool piece sherry....

    and i hope your conundrum is finding answers, perhaps even within your own words here...smiles.

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  30. Brilliant!! Within every woman there lives a powerful force, filled with energy...And all emotion, even rage, carries knowledge, insight, enlightenment... So, I agree with you, when you say :

    "She is an ancient singing
    through our bones,
    a wise smile,
    the Knowing eyes of a
    Watcher in the Woods."--Love...love..love this, Sherry!

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  31. a wonderful world so lovingly created.....

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  32. "Unfathomable" is a mouthful, truly spoken, containing all you narrate in this campfire on the shore. She must be one of the many guises of God whose still small voice I listen to. She must be often mistaken for an adversary of God instead. How gullible in our youth and beyond--had we no wild woman to guide us.
    Oh, there's a footprint, a tail tip! Beautiful!

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  33. Wild Woman is the one
    that we run from
    when we are young
    and run home to
    when we are old.
    .....simply love it

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  34. Sherry
    You well know about the power of us women.
    A top one this is.

    Thank you so much for sharing such beoautiful words in our honor!

    :-)

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  35. This is gorgeous, Sherry. I've been privileged to have the company of Wild Woman once or twice. You've described her brilliantly.

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  36. I love your call to embrace the wild woman!
    and about spirit's shrivel - very resonates with my thoughts! Excellent take on the theme!

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  37. "She lives in the space between heartbeats and in the thoughts between words" Amazing Sherry!

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  38. its wonderful to return to your poems after my brief interruptions.a busy schedule often takes all the poetry out of me.just so glad to be able to come back and read these.signature share Sherry.keep'em coming.

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  39. Sherry,

    This very much in keeping with you personally Sherry. In fact, 'right up your street.' You are within your very words...
    ''The one we run from when we are young, and the one we run home to when we are old.''.....Just lovely.

    I love your new image:)
    Happy Sunday,
    Eileen:)

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  40. This is wonderful. I love the way you write. I can relate so much. Thank you.

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  41. Great story, like the fabrication of a personal myth. Enjoyed it from start to finish!

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  42. Wild Woman is the one
    that we run from
    when we are young
    and run home to
    when we are old.
    She is an ancient singing
    through our bones,
    a wise smile,
    the Knowing eyes of a
    Watcher in the Woods.


    Indeed, indeed... and what an inspiring write - I loved it!

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  43. Just wow! I was so entranced reading this...wild wolf women!

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  44. Awesome! You really know how to paint the picture. I was right there, saw the paw print. A great write

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