Some light relief -AHF poetry

[bluetitsaretits]

Recently I was passing by Greenham Common and happened to see a second hand bookshop. Couldn't resist popping in for a browse.
The owner was a lovely older hippy lady, so emboldened I asked if she had anything by Germaine Bunbury. She eyed me suspiciously for a moment, clocked my doc martens and seemed satisfied.
"I'm afraid not" she said, and reached under the counter.
"You might like this though -no charge." she said as she pushed a book across the counter to me.
It was 'fly fishing' by JR Hartley. I looked at her, puzzled. She winked and made some sort of gesture -like dunking a biscuit into a nice cup of tea.
I left the shop feeling very odd.

When I got home I made a cuppa and flicked through the book. From between the pages an old, yellowed piece of paper fell out, which I gently unfolded.
It said 'to my dear friend Germaine, in strength and solidarity, ever yours, Sylvia Duffy xx'
Then a poem;

"My words aren't yours to take, my dear
For they're not just mine to give.
They belong to all mothers who went before,
The ones who made us live.

From egg to egg and womb to womb
Carried back through time
Passed through mitochondria
Down Eve's unbroken line.

So time to learn respect, my dear
And hear what women say
We have the right to just say 'NO!'
Now put that thing away."

Needless to say, I felt much invigorated.

bluetitsaretits, that is a wonderful story. What a treasure you uncovered there with that wonderful poem.

Until this moment I was unaware of Sylvia Duffy, although I’ve read as much of the incomparable Germaine Bunbury as I can get my hands on.

I’m currently reading her lovely book, “Breakfast with Feminists”. I wonder, now I’m thinking of it, if the SD she crefits with the recipe for New Zealand toast, (manuka honey and sheep’s milk cheese), might be Sylvia Duffy? I do love a literary puzzle. Thank you!

Ah you could be right there emma. I seem to recall reading a Bunbury anecdote somewhere where she mentions 'Sylvia's impressive haka'.

I must look it up! I shall track down more of Sylvia Duffy’s work, she clearly identifies as a poet of note.

I missed this thread until a fellow FWR member linked me to it just now.

How marvellous to discover this link between the incomparable Duffy and our own, dear guru Bunbury.

I hadn't come across Duffy's work before -I would love to see her haka though

Wondrous tale thank you bluetitsaretits

Talk of haka reminds me of this clip of the Black Ferns as they warm up prior to stickering.

Heartening stuff.

How simply marvellous.

That haka is wonderful gilchrist -I might try it at work tomorrow morning, get pumped up for a productive day of badassery

I looked her up and Sylvia Duffy was a proud Māori woman from Whakatāne. Her haka must have been something to behold.

The Black Ferns are doing a mighty job stickering. Even their fellow stickers-up look intimidated. It’s good to know our crack stickering teams are on the job.

Wonderful story. Evocative. Really liked the poem too.

I saw this on Twitter yesterday, not a work by such an established poet as Duffy but too good not to share. Hope link works.

Currently it is the pinned tweet of @TitaniaMcGrath 12th October and has the following in front of it,

"I’ve decided that being a woman is transphobic.

From henceforth, I am to be known as a “womxn”.

To mark the occasion, I have composed this poem."

photos.app.goo.gl/ZEVv6ApZRkXc7zM49

Another link just in case
mobile.twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1050684097260150785/photo/1

socrates that's brilliant- funny, but also very moving.
I love the line "upskirting scatter queens upon plump stilts"

As we are doing poetry this is one of my faves (not written by me!)

if you wish to be inclusive
please amend your language usage
'woman' has now been disabled
this is how you shall be labelled:

ovulator, menstruator, gestator, incubator
procreator, lactator, child-curator, care-taker
homemaker, meal-maker, vacuum-cleaner-operator
titillator, conciliator, erotic-roleplay-stimulator

if a woman should resist
any title from this list
please ensure her full compliance
here is how to squash defiance:

moderate, invalidate, ensure that you re-educate her
irritate her, frustrate her, make sure you exasperate her
do berate her, denigrate her, obviously you castigate her
deprecate her, do deflate her, tell her you depreciate her

dominate, humiliate, and certainly manipulate her
subjugate, domesticate, and if you can, you abnegate her
penetrate her, impregnate her, all her life administrate her
regulate, incarcerate, and you shall incapacitate her

violate her, desecrate her, let your actions devastate her
decorate her, mutilate her, crush her and debilitate her
obviate, excoriate, and with your words eviscerate her
decimate, intimidate, until you can subordinate her

designate her, emulate her, mimic her and obfuscate her
appropriate, adulterate, mock and then impersonate her
exterminate, obliterate, and finally annihilate her
disintegrate, evaporate, replace and then eradicate her

just negate her
just negate her
just negate her

hate her

irischild.blogspot.com/2018/03/menstruator-and-other-words-that-rhyme.html?m=1

Yes Bluetits I loved it when I saw it, had to keep drinking it in with my eyes....mind the "jostling buggertrain of lies" 😂 Have to say I keep re-reading all three poems on this thread, funny as I don't always rate poetry much but they all keep engaging me.

That last one though ItsAllGoingToBeFine, well it's quite something to read. Powerful stuff, thanks,.... I think.... makes me feel like getting ready for battle!

With apologies to Sir John Betjeman...

Come TA bombs and fall on Slough,
It isn’t fit for women now.
And if in Leeds, should women meet,
They can’t expect a council suite.
For women must not be unkind
Their womanhood is redefined,
We say it is; that makes it so.
What’s that you say,
DID I HEAR NO??

Just bow down T*. You can’t resist.
Another no?
NOW
EAT
MY
FIST.

Wow itsall that's powerful stuff.

As words have become our battlefield I am finding it encouraging to read examples of women taking back our language.
For me, the policing of words cuts to the very heart of this whole thing -the blatant attempt to get women to 'watch your mouth ' encapsulates the issue of control. It makes me so bloody angry!

Blardy -that's brilliant, love a good parody!

To misquote Kipling :

If you can silence crowds and need no virtue,
Or talk with kings- and lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can contradict you,
If all men vote for you, and all too much
If you can overcome unforgiving nature
With sixty seconds worth of women's races won
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -which is more -you'll be a transwoman, my son!