31 October 2014

Safety Zone

File:Léon Bonvin - Still Life on Kitchen Table with Celery, Parsley, Bowl, and Cruets - Walters 371504.jpg
Still Life on Kitchen Table by Léon Bonvin, via Wiki Commons


The circle will hold, women!
We drew it with our knives and
draw strength intertwining lives
and we look with open eyes
upon each other’s safe zones—
quite often not in our homes—

The spells we cast in our rooms
don’t reach as far as our schools
and so, my sisters and friends—
blade in smiles and hands in hands
circle with us now and pray
that justice will come our way.

Shhh, dear one—good only! Know
we will reap just what we sow
and dare not imagine what
God and Lady Justice ought
to bestow on enemies
though they force us to our knees.

Is "bring back the children" too
much to ask?  That they haunt who
kidnap them or show us, do,
how to find survivors?  Woo
any power that be, anew?
Help us find ways to break through?

The circle will hold, women!
Pull in our rooms, schools and streets,
Call in sisters, mothers and
daughters—draw it with love and
knives and intertwining lives—
look out there with open eyes.



Written for Fireblossom Friday
at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads
(though she asked for spooky Halloween fun, and this is spooky serious) 


Copyright © 2014 S.L.Chast



9 comments:

  1. Thank goodness, the circle will hold, and woman power will prevail. Loved this, Susan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Opening my eyes and opening them again... with my knife held high and my grip strong... to cut ropes, pain and fear... to bring back what is truly alive!

    Your poem left me shaking my mental fist and baring my teeth, in the best of ways. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, giving up thanks the circle will hold. Fantastic Susan!

    ReplyDelete
  4. this is a very powerful and chilling tale, susan. love the secret of the knives and the rooms! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. i want this to be true, that the circle will hold.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whatever works. I haven't been able to stop wondering what became of those schoolgirls who were kidnapped. Those creatures who kidnapped them must really fear educated women, to go to such evil lengths to prevent them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That strength is sorely needed ~

    ReplyDelete
  8. or, perhaps, the regrouping after such breaks. For breaks will occur - And I too still wonder about those school girls.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog!