16 March 2013

Bag of Fortune


Woman be bag lady 
     since time began
Rooved or roofless 

We 
hear danger with Our eyes and ears
move sand in the hourglass
smooth fears
weave dreams sweet sandmen 
     sprinkle into darkness
embroider deep stories for pillows 
     (cotton, concrete or knees)
feed hunger at Our breasts 
     between births and deaths.

Busy enough, for sure, to leave 
    futures in His hands
    nevertheless 
We stand up 
to unravel
to rule
to build
to teach
to spin
since We are She 
     for whom all wait and 
     hope will fix 
the broken toys of Mother Earth.

We dig to bag bottom 
     for tools to ease
pain from misrule
     and epidemic disease.


Posted for Kerry's The Last Mixed Bag at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads and for Kim's Verse First ~ Women! at Poets United.  Written as a sonnet, I re-formed "Bag of Fortune" for en-chant-ment.  I filed this, finally, in Poetry Pantry # 142.




Copyright © 2013 S.L.Chast
Chosen for my book 11/5/2013


17 comments:

  1. Very nice, Susan. I like what is in your bag. Indeed women do dig to the bottom for their tools, of which they have many!

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  2. I also liked the contents of your bag-heart.

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  3. Powerful poem, Susan... I especially like the second stanza.

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  4. Susan, this is one of my very favourite of your poems. It resonates with poetic voice, reminiscent of Angelou, but all you own. This is top drawer poetry.

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  5. nice susan...som ereally cool touches along the way...moving the sand in the hourglass...you really build it well in the second and third stanzas as you build all the ways a woman impacts her family and society...ah i hope you find in your bag a solution, you know...smiles.

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  6. Fabulous, Susan. Women in control! A powerful (as Laurie said) response to the prompt.
    K

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  7. What a wonderful and powerful write. Woman Power. "To fix the broken toys of earth". Yes!

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  8. I have to completely agree with Kerry's comment. This is exceptional!

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  9. Susan you have so much heart in this bag! I love it~
    :D

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  10. We are mothers whether we birth offspring or not...and yes it is from birth to death. Fantastic write!!

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  11. What a wonderful write ---I have to echo the above and don't know that my comment adds much to the mix--just fabulous!

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  12. nice take on the prompt.lovely write.

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  13. Inspiring words as I imagine my daughter growing into womanhood with all its huge potential.

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  14. WOW, Susan! This one is packed with images of women's work and roles. Everywoman can relate to one part or another, if not every single line. We are the power gender, world changer, soul tender.

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  15. An exceptional poem! So inspirational to women and love the line, "to fix the broken toys of earth."

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