The beauty of a strong, young woman. Dedicated to the Women Who Know Oppression-
The Matriarchal Manifesto
You say that I am for having babies and
Nothing more.
You say I am to stay behind, inside,
Under cover, forbidden.
You say I am to own what you are,
What you believe, how you live.
You say I am only to be dirt
Under your foot.
You cut off my nose to spite your face.
Well then, fine,
I will have babies, exquisite ones.
Sons and daughters.
But I will give them to you
In a new way.
I will keep them unto me until
The fullness of their time.
And the sons that I give
Will not make war.
And the daughters that I give
Will not be foolish.
I will give unto the
World children who
Will not live as we have.
They will know better.
Those are the children
I will give.
Now go and
Leave me be.
Susan Patterson
The Matriarchal Manifesto
You say that I am for having babies and
Nothing more.
You say I am to stay behind, inside,
Under cover, forbidden.
You say I am to own what you are,
What you believe, how you live.
You say I am only to be dirt
Under your foot.
You cut off my nose to spite your face.
Well then, fine,
I will have babies, exquisite ones.
Sons and daughters.
But I will give them to you
In a new way.
I will keep them unto me until
The fullness of their time.
And the sons that I give
Will not make war.
And the daughters that I give
Will not be foolish.
I will give unto the
World children who
Will not live as we have.
They will know better.
Those are the children
I will give.
Now go and
Leave me be.
Susan Patterson
Audio for Matriarchal Manifesto
Discussion--
This poem is about women, obviously. It is not about one specific woman. I am using the metaphor of a woman to represent women through the ages, past and future. It is about looking at women differently than much of humanity has done so for thousands of years. It is about growing children up differently. It is about listening and learning from the female perspective. It is about not wasting talent and intelligence. It is not about tolerating ignorance and cruelty.
This poem is not a diatribe against men. It is however a denunciation of how women are thought of and treated. It is a call for discussions and ultimately action that will lead humanity in a new and a better way. skp
This poem is not a diatribe against men. It is however a denunciation of how women are thought of and treated. It is a call for discussions and ultimately action that will lead humanity in a new and a better way. skp
Someone to Watch Grow- Malala Yousafzai
On October 9, 2012, Malala Yousafzai, a fifteen year old Pakistani girl, was shot in the head and neck by Tailban assassins. She was hunted and gunned down because of her position on and her promotion of women's and children's education. She was shot on a bus coming home from school. The Taliban's intent was to kill her and then her father. But she survived.
To celebrate her 16th birthday, Malala addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations. She called for nations of the world to make it a priority to educate their children. She maintains, and I agree, that education is the key to long term peace in this world. Universal education is not a privilege, it is a human right. Malala is still in the news. The Taliban regrets shooting her. (A year later they say this.) Against the odds, this young girl is standing up and leading us in a better direction. I hope that we follow.
Following are links for you about Malala. The first one is her presentation at the United Nations. It is seventeen minutes, but riveting and important. The second link is Wikipedia information and back ground.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRh_30C8l6Y
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai
I know that all of you readers will agree that educating the children of the world is vital. Not everyone feels the same way, however. Thank you for spreading the word that it is. skp
To celebrate her 16th birthday, Malala addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations. She called for nations of the world to make it a priority to educate their children. She maintains, and I agree, that education is the key to long term peace in this world. Universal education is not a privilege, it is a human right. Malala is still in the news. The Taliban regrets shooting her. (A year later they say this.) Against the odds, this young girl is standing up and leading us in a better direction. I hope that we follow.
Following are links for you about Malala. The first one is her presentation at the United Nations. It is seventeen minutes, but riveting and important. The second link is Wikipedia information and back ground.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRh_30C8l6Y
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai
I know that all of you readers will agree that educating the children of the world is vital. Not everyone feels the same way, however. Thank you for spreading the word that it is. skp
▶Civility is to be god-like in our humanity. Earlene Grey
Women in conference for the future.
À bientôt.
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