Monday, December 29, 2008

The Sound of Sisterhood

[I didn't make time to write this week, but I did pull out a piece I haven't had on the blog before. Check out what other folks contributed to this week's Monday Poetry Train Revisited.]



The Sound of Sisterhood

I didn't know what I was hearing,
at the time.

My Girl Scout leaders were
confident women teaching us to be
confident girls who would grow into
confident women ourselves.

Another confident woman interviewed me,
a conversation we both enjoyed,
then a female student led the tour
of college buildings named after women.

I arrived on campus, one of 500 women
in all shapes and sizes and colors, and my ears filled with
the alto-soprano sounds of voices in conversation.

We talked. We agreed. We argued.
We listened. We learned.
Women led. Women planned. Women failed.
Women played. Women worked.
Women wrote
and their names were everywhere.

The voices took root in me:
comforting, challenging, compelling.

I didn't know it was the sound of sisterhood until later.



12 comments:

gautami tripathy said...

This is wondeful. Sisterhood is very comforting. Female bonding is something no male would understand.

I have bookmarked it to re-read it...

playing for pleasing the moon

Linda Jacobs said...

What a celebration of sisterhood! There is such power in it and your poem shows that! Love it!

sister AE said...

Thanks, Gautami!

Hi, Linda. Thank you too.

Anonymous said...

it's good to have female support :) i agree its empowering

sister AE said...

hello, floreta. thanks.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful!
I wish that for my own daughters...

Andy Sewina said...

I think you've captured a special something here!

sister AE said...

Thanks, angie. That's a terrific wish!

thanks, Andy.

Anonymous said...

Enlightening personal progression, well-penned. That ending puts the polish on it. Sisterhood is vital.Here via Poetry Train, althouh I've visited before. :)
I Want to Hold Your Hand

sister AE said...

thanks, gel.

Maria said...

Me either.

sister AE said...

Hi, Maria. How 'bout that.