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Woven Woman (I Am)
by Philippa JaneI am the daughter of
soldiers, laborers, miners,
steelworkers, merchants, foremen,
secretaries, clerks, chefs,
teachers, ministers, housewives,
computer engineers, team managers,
never-ending believers . . .
I have seen my father's dreams
diminished
by the baggage of an unfamiliar letter
yet reassembled by
one plus two equals three
forever interlaced and steadfast
anchored as the hero of every hour.
I have heard my mother's sacrifices
unsuspected of the surprisingly broken mold
seen her love captured between teeth
while still leaving cheeks stained.
Felt her solaced presence,
with 18 spent canceling out 18 gained,
and a desired blank chapter lingering
-
clutched hands grasping for a beginning.
Mother was a lifeline
exhaling her entirety into my lungs;
Father was a savior
superhero for a believer with
conviction . . .
. . . And so I was created -
Blood of two loves
flesh of a shared soul
17-year-old daughter
of woven lives
struggling to find the will
to unravel alone. 04/09/2003 Author's Note: Inspired by the poem "Yellow Woman" by Genevieve Lim-Jue. This poem was another English assignment - this time to write a poem about myself based on the poem by Genevieve Lim-Jue.
Posted on 08/09/2003
Copyright © 2024 Philippa Jane
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Agnes Eva on 08/10/03 at 12:32 AM it does work well to present the poet as very much rooted in their history, as opposed to being just a 'me poem'. great job with the idea |
| Posted by Max Bouillet on 08/10/03 at 07:16 AM Unique flavor and nice familial history woven into the fabric of the verse. Great work. |
| Posted by Karen Michelle on 08/10/03 at 11:56 AM And you are unravelling beautifully. I am so glad that I have begun this journey right here, with you, of all people. |
| Posted by Don Coffman on 08/12/03 at 07:56 PM And now I want to go find that poem for an insight into this. I like the arrangement here, it's really effective, especially in the beginning when the list of ancestors stretches back in time, trailing into the past. |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 01/19/04 at 01:18 AM Remarkable expression of family and of it born self. Well done! |
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