Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Rise

My Grandma and her horse, Monte
Note the wheel from the horse and buggy 
in the background.
No cars back then, in my Grandma's life.
They rode everywhere on horseback
or with horse and buggy.

"Be still.....you are the result of the love of thousands."
Linda Hogan

"The day the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
Mahatma Gandhi


I come from a long line
of strong, cackling women.
Each of us in turn has been 
captured, contained, caged,
silenced, oppressed, 
beaten and betrayed.

(- the open door of the cage,
the fear of flying,
the final desperate leap
when out we flew -)

Be brave, young women and,
more than that,
be determined, persistent, 
with your eyes on the her-izon.
Speak your truth.

You come from the love of thousands.
Your ancestors surround you,
whispering encouragement 
in your ear.

Our oppressors may beat us down
for a time,
but forever and forever
we will
Rise.

for Susan's Midweek Motif: Empowerment



27 comments:

  1. What a wonderful black and white photograph, Sherry! I would be quite happy to travel around with a horse and buggy. Don’t we all come from a long line of strong women, starting with Eve? I love how you have imprisoned the metaphor of the bird cage, the play of the title of the well-known book ‘Fear of Flying’ and that desperate leap in parentheses – a visual metaphor, so to speak. Young women deserve all the encouragement we older, wiser women can give.

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    1. I treasure my grandma's scrap book, over 100 years old , full of historical old photos.

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  2. Oh Sherry this is the most deeply evocative and stirring poem I have ever read!❤️ Yes rise we shall!

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    1. Thanks, Sanaa. I didnt think it was very good, as poems go, but I well remember, the abuse, the open door of the cage, and the fear. Until I flew!

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  3. Touching and powerful and love these last lines
    Our oppressors may beat us down
    for a time,
    but forever and forever
    we will
    Rise.
    Yes we will

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  4. "with your eyes on the her-izon.
    Speak your truth"

    I sooooo love those lines

    Happy Wednesday. Thanks for droppknv by my blog

    Much💛love

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  5. You are fortunate that you had such a strong bond with your grandmother. What a wonderful photo of her. She would love this poem as do I!!!!

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  6. Thanks, Elisabeth. My grandma actually saved my life when I was a child. She was my template for the life I made for myself when I grew up, once I got past all the crappola, lol.

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  7. "You come from the love of thousands.
    Your ancestors surround you,
    whispering encouragement
    in your ear."
    They can't keep a connected woman down! POW! Sharing!

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  8. Your words are empowering - Love her-izon.

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  9. This poem with all the quotes, photograph, imagery and words is a treat to the eyes and mind. Aah the strong message in it will give wings to the caged birds.

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  10. Sadly women have been reduced to second class status for centuries because they are adept, more important and versatile than men who merely have muscles but less intelligence than women and have used their strength and insults to continually
    degrade women...but don't anyone I said so.

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    1. This is the most sensible thing you have ever said.I hope the motivation was not to have a long line of women queuing at your door:)

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    2. Your wife was a lucky woman, Robin.

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  11. Your gran is beautiful...lovely photo.
    Yes strong women are wonderful.So many crosses to bear ,

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  12. Strong, cackling women! Yes!

    My grandmother was a horse trainer, too, among many other things.

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  13. This is so strong!!! I love this poem!! And the photo of your Grandmother.

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  14. I hope you will post more from your Grandmother's scrapbook!!

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  15. I did post some from the scrapbook in earlier blogging years. Might be time to do so again.

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