Feminist self care. A thread to comfort and console.

[ArthurbellaScott]

A Poem for Someone Who is Juggling Her Life

This is a poem for someone
who is juggling her life.
Be still sometimes.
Be still sometimes.

It needs repeating
over and over
to catch her attention
over and over,
as someone who is juggling her life
finds it difficult to hear.

Be still sometimes.
Be still sometimes.
Let it all fall sometimes.

Rose Cook, from Notes From a Bright Field (Cultured Llama, 2013)

Poem for Maya

Dipping our bread in oil tins 
we talked of morning peeling 
open our rooms to a moment 
of almonds, olives and wind 
when we did not yet know what we were. 
The days in Mallorca were alike: 
footprints down goat-paths 
from the beds we had left, 
at night the stars locked to darkness. 
At that time we were learning 
to dance, take our clothes 
in our fingers and open 
ourselves to their hands. 
The veranera was with us. 
For a month the almond trees bloomed, 
their droppings the delicate silks 
we removed when each time a touch 
took us closer to the window where 
we whispered yes, there on the intricate 
balconies of breath, overlooking 
the rest of our lives.

Carolyn Forchéé*

Not specifically feminist but I've included this poem because I'm always awed at the power of reading and literature

One of my favourite carols. Eerie but utterly beautiful -

<happy sigh> thank you for the thread.

This is a beautiful thread. The starlings were gorgeous, more poetry to read, think about and draw inspiration from, and now haunting music.

Thanks to all who’ve contributed.

I am not sure this is feminist, but been listening to this on loop lately because it is so calming. Perhaps many of us need to find our way home after the last few years.

I love this.

As a result of this thread, I've spent the day doing things for me - two classes at the gym, baking for the afternoon, take away for dinner and I've just ordered myself two poetry books by Mary Oliver and Andrienne Rich. Currently in the couch with MN, knitting and baileys. Bliss. Just what I needed and all thanks to this thread. Thank you