Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Girl Power

If I were to write a heroine in action,
who would it be?


Malala,
at gunpoint,
a girl with a book, saying bravely
"Here I am",
and staying who she was,
no matter what.

Or it would be Greta,
age fifteen,
a small girl on strike for climate,
who refused to stop,
igniting a movement
across the globe,
waking the adults up
from our long sleep.


[Jane and Flint,
the first chimp born at Gombe 
after her arrival]

Or, before them,
there was Jane,
whose love of animals
and dreams of Africa
took her to the chimps of Gombe,
so she could teach us that animals
have all the feelings and emotions
humans do - love and grief,
fear and pain, joy and sorrow -
and that they need us
to help them live.


for Susan's prompt at What's Going On:  Characters In Action, letting action reveal character. Three of my heroines, whose lives have made a difference. 




13 comments:

  1. Looks like this is both girls and women, so may i suggest recognizing Dr. Pam Palmater? A citizen of the Mi’kmaw Nation and member of Eel River Bar First Nation, defender of Indigenous rights and social justice. :) https://pampalmater.com/about/

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    1. A wonderful acknowledgement of someone I had not heard about, and will now be happy to learn more about. Thanks.

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  2. It's that "here I am" quality that links these three women. Each has a conviction they play out in the practice of their lives. Good, good "girl power."

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  3. Each of these three certainly has made an impact and has a story worth telling! Bravo for this recognition.

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  4. Standing up to something, standing for something - they show us the way. With all the darkness of climate and war engulfing us, women need to lead the world into a new light.

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  5. Interesting perspective and very thought provoking - It captures your heart and is really a call to action. Well done.

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  6. A good one Sherry. Nice selection of characters in action.

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  7. I love that your heroines are all so different, Sherry. My favourite has to be ‘…Jane,
    whose love of animals
    and dreams of Africa
    took her to the chimps of Gombe,
    so she could teach us that animals
    have all the feelings and emotions’.

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  8. I find it arrogant and astounding that some people think animals can't love or grieve or suffer--they certainly do, and it is up to us to recognize our kinship and responsibility toward them.

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  9. Jane Goodall would be my favourite although all three are impressive heroines......Rall

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  10. Sherry,
    A very good example of females who have given good example by their actions.
    Most impressive especially given the terrible world of celebrity and those called influencers, who dare to think that they have class or something good to share with the world...

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  11. Yes, as always a clarion call to action and a reminder and tribute to those who do and have acted. Kudos!

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  12. Glyphosate Awareness has our own girl-power heroine, Rachel...but opposition has been so ugly, I hope she can keep a low profile.

    PK

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