Saturday, May 12, 2012

Women of the World


© Peggy Goetz: Village Midwife, Mountains of Honduras


Today Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads is featuring the photography of the very talented Peggy Goetz, who has traveled this world widely, and who brings us her beautiful poems and photographs at her site, On a Day Like Today.





© Peggy Goetz: Three Mayan Women, Guatemala



I was struck by the signs of struggle and sorrow, strength and endurance, in the faces of the older women in her photos.........something we share world-wide is the wisdom that surviving on the planet into our later years brings us.


Do click over to Real Toads, to see what the other poets post. We'll be posting all weekend.




                   © Peggy Goetz: Three Women and Baby, Yi Village ,China


It doesn't matter whether
you are in Honduras,
the remote villages of China,
the sidewalks of New York,
or the mountains of Tibet.

You will see on 
 old womens' faces
that same look:
weathered skin,
sadness, sorrow, endurance
and  a capacity for pain.

Their faces light up
for a baby's smile
but, in repose,
when they think
you are not looking,
all they have lived through,
all they have lost,
all of the getting up
from their beds of sorrow
to begin again,
and what that cost them:
these are the stories
their careworn faces
try, without success, to hide.

Happy Mother's Day to 
every single mother out there:
those who are happily raising small children, 
with great love,
those who have, with great pain, 
laid their children in the ground,
those who live far from their busy children
and rarely see them,
those who live on the streets
and have been abandoned,
those who have struggled 
with mental illness,
those who have lost their children 
to the system.
To every woman whose heart 
has been expanded
and whose lives have been raised high  
or laid low by giving birth:
tell yourself those words you rarely hear:
that you have done something important 
on this earth,
by gifting it with your children,
and that you have
done well.

17 comments:

  1. Yes, Sherry. You have captured that look in words exactly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful, heartfelt words, Sherry. Yes, mothers worldwide share so much connection. Happy Mother's Day to YOU too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lovely tribute to all women all over the world and to mother's too.
    Absolutely lovely Sherry.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A beautiful tribute..I am touched ~

    Happy Mother's Day to you too ~

    ReplyDelete
  5. happy mother's day, Sherry. love you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your heart shines through every single poem I've read from you, Sherry! This was such a joy to read. You've really revealed in words the mystery behind the sadness in their eyes.

    Your tribute to all mothers is mentally expanding in and of itself, gathering my thoughts toward ALL mothers.

    Thank you, Sherry and a very Happy Mother's day to you, also!

    ReplyDelete
  7. lovely. I agree, you captured that look of haunting sadness that these women have. Happy Mother's Day to you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderfully captured. Happy Mother's Day to you too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I appreciate you today Koko. You spirit shines through. And more so, the efforts of your hands reach out to many.

    Happy Mothers (And Koko's) Day to you!! Smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful tribute to mothers, Sherry! It's true, irrespective where mothers be their faces picture a thousand questions. Mothers always worry more than necessary. Otherwise they are not mothers. Great write for Mother's Day!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love every line, how you wove in each word. So very good!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lots of care and thought in what you wrote. I had not really thought about the care worn aspect of the women in my photos and you made me take another look! Even in the mirror I guess a life of caring is what all those wrinkles are about! Lovely Mother's Day tribute as well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful, Sherry.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Motherhood is motherhood no matter where you live. This is an absolutely wonderful poem, and it was indeed heartfelt.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is a one-two punch! The thoughts about all the old women of the world and what we all have in common and then the wonderful wishes for mothers every where. Your poetry was all the more stunning with Peggy's incredible photos. This touches me deeply.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I cannot express to you how much pleasure this has given me. It is such a beautiful piece. Happy mother's day to you my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Maybe this is a bit divergent - but I'm always troubled by how little people value women.

    The level of disrespect is brutal in today's youth.

    Anyway...back out I go.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting. I appreciate it and will return your visit soon.