Wild Woman remembers
dancing on the earth,
a hundred women
spiral dancing
to the beat of the drums
at the blockades of '93.
It was magic!
It was magic!
Primal, pulsing woman-power,
faces radiant, joyous,
powerful with love
for Mother Earth,
dancing for the trees,
in defiance of the Machine
whose voracious jaws, agape,
threaten to devour
everything
loved,
necessary,
sacred.
Ululations,
wolf howls,
little girls with
honest, determined eyes,
rainbows painted
on their faces,
teens on the cusp
of young womanhood,
mothers, sisters, grannies,
grey-haired women,
wise with living,
all deeply rooted
in the earth,
united in the passion
of this moment
on the road,
a hundred women
dancing on the earth,
for the trees.
This is Sally Sunshine,
now in the spirit world.
now in the spirit world.
I am writing here of the Woman's Blockade. But all summer, thousands came to join us on the road. These were the most passionate hours and days of my life, the summer of '93, gathering before dawn on the road, the smell of smoke from the campfire, people sleepily arriving from the Peace Camp, the low beat beat beat of the tom toms. And then the big trucks pulled in, huge, intimidating, and the official would read out the proclamation to clear the road. Some of us stepped back. Those who volunteered to be arrested that day remained standing or sitting and were carried off bodily, to cheers and tears.
The protests received world wide media attention, creating national support for the protests. The clearcutting of the old growth was stopped and a Land Use agreement was eventually reached. 34% of the Sound is protected; 21% is under special management; the formerly 80% designated for resource extraction was reduced to 40%. But that is 40% too much for most of us.
The fight continues to protect Clayoquot Sound's ancient forests.
You write so well powerfully about the blockades of '93. Seems you remember it as well as if it were yesterday. These words give the reader an idea of what it must have been like:
ReplyDelete"Primal, pulsing woman-power,
faces radiant, joyous,
powerful with love
for Mother Earth,
dancing for the trees"
We need some of that power today!
It just feels that back then, people's voices counted, their protests brought results..."powerful with love" - is such a positive, magical image.
ReplyDeleteYou've captured a historic, pivotal moment Sherry, vibrating with great energy to inspire others.
ReplyDelete"a hundred women
dancing on the earth,
for the trees." Truly a magical time.
"all deeply rooted
ReplyDeletein the earth,
united in the passion
of this moment"
Ah!! You give us this moment again in this poem. I have a bodily memory of similar occasions, so relate on many levels. I wish I had been there!
A hundred heartbeats in synchronicity with the trees and mother earth. A powerful moment in your deep rooted history. Some change did happen so it was successful on several levels but, yes more could be done today to save the trees. Let the trees dance and sway for another hundred years.
ReplyDeleteWhat a herstory and magic captured here - the celebration of nature is vivid - Jae
ReplyDeleteA great mix of history, protest and tree magic, Sherry! And such fantastic memories! I love the phrase ‘primal, pulsing woman-power’ and the lines:
ReplyDelete‘wise with living,
all deeply rooted
in the earth,
united in the passion
of this moment’.
It must have been very magical. I hope the times come again where we can all dance as one in honour of the Earth. Suzanne - Wordpress blog - Wayfaring
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to understand you a little more, Sherry Blue Sky, and your heart for the earth. What a beautiful thing to do, to stand united with women of all ages coming together to say, "Enough!" to try to stop the massacre of ancient trees. I especially love the descriptions of the women gathered on that site -- unforgettable. "Primal, pulsing woman-power": the magic of a shared love.
ReplyDeleteIt cuts my heart any time I see a tree cut down, let alone a whole forest. It's earth-murder.
ReplyDeleteSherry,
ReplyDeleteYou were truly present at a most significant event, back in '93.
It is encouraging to know that those blockades had a very important impact on the outcome of saving the area's trees from being totally deforested.
It must have felt so magical, being part of such a vocal gathering..well done:)
Forest care is self-care
ReplyDeleteThanks for the precise percentages.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing story/experience. To be on the ground standing up for the protection of nature is so powerful. You have a long history of being a Warrior Woman.
ReplyDelete