What Women Don’t Fear

We are not afraid to use the word ‘we’.
Not afraid of generalizations  –
we know good and well we are unique.

We do not fear hot water.
Like tea bags
we just grow stronger
the longer we are steeped.

We are not afraid to be drenched by sentiment
and all her messy kin
— after all, we have already
embodied the stream.

We are flow’ers.
Flowers.
Evolved to dissolve into currents.
We do not fear the torrents.
We are willing to be swept away.

Endlessly cyclic
symbolic and dream-lit.
Unafraid to bleed.

We polish stars for a living
with each glimmer at our children.

We rush to usher in generations
between our patient
well-planted feet.

We are the handles on the basket.
Give us life’s wicker
and we will help you grasp it.
We contain multipli’cities.

We stay busy tending
to the tiniest of things.

Blind to bribes of pride…
We do not fear being unseen.

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It is our right to be moon-like
dimmed or strengthened
silver-slivered, full or crescent…

The sun might be the one
considered constant
but we remain
unchanged
forever full
regardless of how he slants his
light upon us
we are flawless.
Unphased by phases.
Complete.

We are burning bushes
unafraid of torches.
For the sake of spurring on some
unsuspecting prophet
in the right direction.
Regardless of reason
– for the sake of our children –
we will gladly burst to flame.

We will bear the burn
upon our bark
that G!d may better speak through
our sparks
to right wrongs
we’ll go right along
like tumbleweed across the prayerful plain.

To dream of something better.
To bear the bitter.
To burn for something bigger.
– We are not afraid of these.

And look –
no matter the singe of the centuries.
No matter the abuses, rebukes and disparities…
our leaves remain downright literary
shameless, changeless, fearless
& green.

The only question is
– is the world courageous enough
to bear the message
our phoenix screams?

To be responsive to the content of her
constant unsinged leaves
and set each thing in bondage
free?

We are like tea bags seeped
in hot water.
Growing stronger.
So please be responsive
– as a prophet ought to be.

Do not flee from the heat of things.
Be fearless.
Set someone free….