Thursday 26 April 2012

W is for Woman

WOMAN


The housewife of old was meek and mild
She looked after the house and her child
She tended to all her man’s needs
Then found time to pull up some weeds

She cleaned and washed and cooked all day long
Listening to the radio and enjoying the pop songs
Matching handbags and shoes,
Twinsets and pearls

Hair neatly coiffed and lacquered
All meals were home cooked and catered
No machines to save time and energy
Any ambitions to work were thought to be haughty

She was there to toe the line

To comfort, nurture and be his sunshine
Nothing was too much trouble, never angry
Abused physically and mentally by all and sundry

As time went on it wasn’t enough
So women found the strength to rebuff
The social norms of their lives and times
Sometimes having to commit crimes

Suffragettes and pioneers who wouldn’t be beaten
We need to thank our brave women who were certain
Who led from the front for their sisters and daughters
To find the right answers our female warriors

Taking voice and fighting hard to unite
Making sure it’s everyone’s birthright
Regarded and respected as any other human being
Genuinely admired and loved with feeling

So now we are in the 21st century
Some women are still living in penury
Working hard to change women’s lives
No longer willing to be captives

Standing against discrimination and prejudice
Knocking down the walls of the fortress
Dismissing the world of unfair bigotry
And get everyone to agree.

Standing up for women’s rights and others
As did our grandmothers and great grandmothers
Not only for sex discrimination or prejudice
Righting the wrongs in the world with fairness

Thinking of the whole world with compassion
Helping out others with consideration
Lots of empathy and sympathy along the way
Shining a light on problems small and large giving a brighter day.


4 comments:

  1. What a great piece, Sally. Indeed--women have come a long way, but there's still frontiers to be conquered, and perhaps the toughest one is the one that resides within ourselves, the limitations we impose on ourselves (and each other), knowingly or not. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Wonderful. Women are so powerful and only now coming into our full power - of compassion and kindness and love. We can solve everything those. But it's been a long road and still some way to go.

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  3. Wonderful women make the world go round. Many women are only just finding their power. How awesome that you recognize it.

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