Saturday, December 22, 2018

day SEVEN HUNDRED and TWO



The Great Awakening

a girl grows up—

                        under a teaching that says
                        the fall of humanity happened
                        because of Woman

                        on a diet of patriarchal fairy tale movies
                        where Man rescues Woman because
                        Woman can’t rescue herself

                        hearing stories of women who
                        stepped out of their place and were
                        burned at the proverbial stake

she believes she was not
made to be strong and courageous
and bold

and yet she cannot deny the stirrings

they whisper then declare
then howl with the truth
of her being: she is the fire

she steps out
she raises her voice
she speaks.

she takes the lashes
and the beatings
and the nails

and every time she thinks
about giving up she shouts
into the shaming winds:

Yes, well, at least
I will be
                        f r e e

 - Rachel Toalson

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