Of Sonnets and Sovereignty

God save us from the sonnet beautiful;

of kings, queens, courtiers, and courtly love.

How I despise all talk that's fanciful

Her beauty shouldn't be the thing that's sought.

What matters is her brain, what it decides

and how she'll live her life and do what's taught.

That is what makes some very lovely brides.

Men often look at women with their eyes

and miss the education that they flaunt.

To trust her judgment should be what you want.

For what a woman craves is to be free.

To Our Mothers Before Us

For Debora Kreimer on the Day of her Bridal Shower

"Sugar and spice and everything nice

is something given at a hefty price."

So began the speech given when daughters were to wed

and the poor bride-to-be just hung her head.

"That can't be true!" the scared girl exclaimed

while very large tears down her face rained.

"Dearest one," the mother consoled, "Such is life

for those women who choose to be a wife."

And every poor girl from the beginning of time

was forced into service and told not to whine.

How wonderful it is we don't have this fate

We can work; we can play; we can leave our house too

without worrying about the reaction of "you-know-who."

So, my dear friend, enjoy marriage gladly

and make sure your man loves you madly.

For we owe our freedoms to many before us

who were forced to live a life that was quite laborous.

So to honor those women who suffered so much

Follow this ritual, and they you will touch.

First, light the candle and say a small prayer

and be grateful that we don't have to be dressed in layers.

And acknowledge those who were forced to be proper

which meant they only drank tea in their cups and saucers.

So drink to her struggle and to what you see

and, in spite, drink a strong cup of coffee.

For we have come far and it is important to note

the beauty, strength, and intelligence they learned by rote.

They fought hard that you might be free

to be a strong, happy, married, working mother and still be a "lady."

Keep Moving

by Julia Renèe

I know it's hard. Oh God, I know it's hard, but move forward and go one minute at a time. The minutes will soon turn to hours will turn to days and soon it will be easier to sleep, then get up, then move on, but keep moving. For stopping right now will only torture you more. The pain in your muscles, the ache in your heart, the questions in your brain will work themselves out. There is one truth that exists now and has existed since the beginning of time: you are beautiful.

You deserve to be understood and worshiped for your beauty and your brilliance and your spirit, your courage and your strength and your fire, your passion and your security and your drive.

It is all these things that both attract and repel boys.

For boys grasp onto society's lie that they're better because of their gender, and they can't resolve it when they're in your presence.

Because your aura, your energy, your perfection contradict that. Their worship of you denies that lie and boys can't accept the truth: no one is better.

And your ability to be everything they are and more while loving and kind and giving is what draws them to you,

Turns them toward you and causes the boys to be blinded by your Light.

And when they come to the point where they have to admit to themselves and the world that it's possible, it's possible to [gasp] be equal, although different, to a female, they turn away.

It's more fulfilling and much easier to live being "better" than "equal".

There are those who move through this phase and look beyond the veil to See.

Men who can love and honor and worship you for your independence, your strength, your courage to live in a world that still belittles you in 10,000 subtle ways and love it anyway.

Men do not listen to society, pastors, friends, media.

Men listen to the inner workings of their souls and truly hear what the Universe is telling them:

We are all equal. Different, yes, but equal.

God did not make males higher than females.

And the day will come when the men who are drawn to us won't cower in fear at our power, our beauty, our strength, our wisdom,

But will grasp on, take hold, and beg us to stay, to enrich their lives with our energy and our love and our kindness.

They will Love us for everything we are and everything we aren't. They will love us because of our "faults" and will see our entire being. Our souls. Our past and our future as well as our present.

They will love us for our anger at little things, for our neurotic need to clean (or our horrible way of keeping house).

They will love us because we cannot cook, but we try hard.

And, if we choose—and only if we choose—will we give them our hearts and maybe a commitment to forever.

The soul is what shines within us and draws others to us.

The soul is what guides us toward tomorrow with our eyes on today and the beauty in front of us.

It has always guided us, it guides us now, and it will guide us to death and beyond.

And when we are no longer in bodily form, our souls will live on and remind the Universe of the beauty of it all.

So do not fret, my friend, it will get easier.

Your heart is broken and you feel discouraged, but your strength abounds.

Your wall of courage is stronger than it looks.

The time is coming, but until then keep moving