Saturday, April 9, 2016

WHEN WOMEN HAD WINGS




I am daughter of Renee,
who is daughter of Florence,
who is daughter of Julia
of County Cork.
I come from a line
of strong-spirited women.

Far back, in the time 
when women had wings,
my foremothers flew.
They sat in council, governing,
around the communal fire.
Their eyes flashed; their utterances
were wise, and respected.
In those times, the waters ran clear,
and the land was bountiful.

In the crooning of the wind,
I hear the names this life has given me:
Walks Far Woman,
Woman Who Talks to Trees,
In Love With the Sea Woman and
Daughter of the Sky.

Part of me has not yet
fully landed in this place.
My DNA still remembers we come from
particles of stars.
My collective memory recalls those times,
when women had wings,
and my foremothers flew,
when living with the land
is what we knew.


One from 2014 for the Poetry Pantry at Poets United. My title was inspired by the title of the movie based on the book by Connie May Fowler, Before Women Had Wings. I decided to explore a time when they did.


28 comments:

  1. My DNA still remembers we come from
    particles of stars.
    My collective memory recalls those times,
    when women had wings

    This is an amazing and fitting personal mantra.

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  2. Oh, I like to think there WAS a time when women had wings. I do especially like the way you mention the names that life has given you...especially "In Love With the Sea Woman."

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  3. Wow! Stunningly beautiful and inspiring.

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  4. this is spellbinding Sherry..."Walks Far Woman,
    Woman Who Talks to Trees,
    In Love With the Sea Woman and
    Daughter of the Sky." ah...strong- spirited women indeed....

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  5. Women still have wings and they kept on soaring. I can definitely hear you, Sherry.

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  6. Love the way you've written this Sherry... Part of me has not yet
    fully landed in this place... what a fabulous line!

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  7. It is so comforting to turn to the natural world to understand our being and know our place while the rest of mankind is blind.

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  8. Part of me has not really landed in this place. LOL
    I am still hovering. The likelihood of my landing is zilch. None of my lot have have manged to land yet:))

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  9. This one flies and soars Sherry :) i think perhaps it is good not to fully land - keeps the imagination and mind open

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  10. In the crooning of the wind,
    I hear the names this life has given me:
    Walks Far Woman,
    Woman Who Talks to Trees

    Such breathtaking verse...!!

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  11. Sherry, you are not just a mere blood & flesh of your foremothers for you are the soul of their soul. You represent them in every fibres of your being, & that you must not forget, soar higher & farther, be proud more than they can ever be so to you today. :)

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  12. You soar woman with wings, enjoyed this!

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  13. Oh I do think this is wonderful, and thought it could have been written from your own prompt at toads... I like the thought of women having wings.

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  14. I think this has so much truth...in those times when women were soaring and in touch with their being and their DNA.

    I am daughter of Emma
    Who is daughter of Erminia
    Who is daughter of Teresa of Calabria, Italy!
    Strong women indeed!

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  15. That last stanza is absolutely beautiful, Sherry! I love these thoughts. That we still remember something, long ago, that's in our blood. Beautiful.

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  16. Bones have strong memories... and the are wonderful at the art of nudging us (or strong-arming us, if necessary) to never forget.

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  17. This is such a beautiful poem. It tells us not only about you, but of woman's connection to wisdom. I think our wings are growing back.

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  18. There are so many glorious lines in this Sherry that I cannot pick one to say is my favorite!! Your poetry is as strong spirited as you!!

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  19. The names this life has given you seem so fitting for you :-) And your title reminds me of the title of an amazing book by Terry Tempest Williams called "When Women Were Birds." Gorgeous writing in there, too.

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  20. Fascinating mythological verses.
    ZQ

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  21. Love the idea "in the time
    when women had wings"...who bother to have them today...where our intention goes - there it will be ...

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  22. Wonderful Sherry. Wild women always have wings, they just aren't always visible,

    Elizabeth

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  23. Wow, Sherry! Your wings soar and sing here in this soul kissed poem~

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  24. What did those who came before us do when their wings were broken? What do we do when our dreams will not take wing?

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  25. Sigh. Wish, I had the words to describe how this poem has moved, emotional and spiritually, which would do justice, to what you have written, Sherry, beyond thank you.

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