Tuesday 11 September 2012

Questions

Where are the GIRL philosophers?
Where are the artists, the writers, the leaders, the stars?
Why do the books still talk of man and mankind
When half of us aren't?
Why do I have so few role models?
My grand niece has more, now, than I did.

I did have a few.
But it's not enough.

Too many people who could have changed the world
Are probably in the kitchen or out fetching water.
Washing socks and faking orgasms to keep someone happy.
Finding real joy in their children.
Happy enough with what they have.

Not a bad life.
But is it enough?

5 comments:

Shikha said...

Lovely poem, Nazneen! Exactly the type of poems and voices we are looking for at 100 Thousand Poets for Change, an event in Bangalore, on September 29th. Please do join us! (www.100tpcbangalore.wordpress.com)

Thanks,
Shikha

Barb Schanel said...

I would have to say that after many years of child raising, then several years of trying to be "more", I yearn to return to my peaceful life of cooking delicious, nutritious meals for my family. Last night we did a meditation in which we envisioned ourselves as a seed. Naturally when a plant or tree grows the seed is used up and gone. What we were looking at was not our own death but what our lives have produced. My primary vision was of my bright shining children (now all good men). Does this mean that I think this is the path for every woman? Certainly not! But it is where I feel most content.

It may seem a bit ironic then that my greatest female hero is Emma Goldman!

Without Shadow said...

Thanks! Shikha, I'll check out your link now. Barb .. I have to google Emma Goldman to find out who she is! I hope I didn't give the impression that motherhood is "not good enough" .. I think it must be an amazing thing, and I'm in awe of women who do it so well. Parenting is one of the most important things. I suppose I was thinking of it from the point of women who become wives and mothers simply because they believe that is what they are meant to do. I mean, we all have wombs, right? It took me a long time to accept that I wasn't going to use mine, and even longer to understand that I didn't HAVE to, just because I was a woman. I'm not knocking motherhood at all. Just saying that it should be a choice not an inevitability.

Barb Schanel said...

Absolutely. It is not for everybody.

Without Shadow said...

Googled her, Barb. I love that line, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be in your revolution."

What an interesting and gutsy woman! Thank you for introducing me to her!