World Poetry Day – AN ODE TO WOMEN

A poem written by IMAGE staff writer Geraldine Carton to celebrate you, our wonderful female community, on World Poetry Day. Enjoy.

Here’s to the women following their dreams,
The ones leaning in and stepping out,
Because in doing so they show us
What womanhood is all about.

To the fashionistas, the designers,
The photographers and MUAs,
Whose talent and creativity
Never fail to amaze.

To the mums, nannies and grannies,
Those real life angels from heaven
Dealing with kids scrapping and screaming,
in need of attention 24/7.

And not forgetting the women in business
Persevering in their hustle,
All the while remembering to strengthen
That important pelvic floor muscle…

These women show that you don’t need a man
To get from point A to point B,
Who do it with self-respect, self-reliance
And with such dignity.

2018 is the year for she
Who gets up each time she stumbles,
Ignoring the jibes and the snipes and the scorn
Of the naysayers’ insistent grumbles

We’re saying goodbye to the Weinsteins,
Cheery-o to the creeps,
#TimesUp on the sexism
(And this time it’s for keeps).

We’re for women who break barriers
And smash the highest of glass ceilings,
Those who aren’t afraid to share
Their thoughts, opinions and feelings.

We appreciate those who fess up to hardships,
Make known their struggles and fears
Not an easy thing to do, you’ll agree,
But for that, we are all-ears.

We love your honesty about the realities
That feature in everyday life
Setting the reminder that fairytales
Don’t start only when the girl becomes the wife.

Let there be more laughs, more jokes,
More storytelling-galore,
More women who are brave enough
To stand up and take to the floor.

We need to be reminded that
We all deserve the chance
To enjoy success, good health, happiness
And our own whirlwind romance.

Because if you don’t laugh, you cry,
And if you don’t dare, worse still;
A life without risks
Brings a future sloping downhill.

You’ll be left thinking what could’ve been, should’ve been,
What would’ve been if you dared…
Face the impossible. Do the incredible.
Ignore doubts that make you scared.

And when you need a cry, a laugh,
Maybe even a thoughtful Agony Aunt
Or a bit of honest realism
From a writer having a rant.

We’ll be here to support you, to challenge you
And to help give you a voice;
To listen to your opinions
Be they “pro-life” or “pro-choice”.

And whatever you’re into,
Be it food, shoes or words
Don’t let anyone ever tell you
That your ideas are for the birds

Together we can challenge the status quo
And put an end to the societal norms;
Embracing the female body,
In all its shapes and forms

So we’re looking for the sound buzzers,
The top girlos all-round,
And we need you to tell us where
These “good eggs” are to be found…

We want to champion, support and bolster
All those who get up and try,
Because people like these people
Aren’t all that easy to come by.

But you – our incredible, inspiring community
Of beautiful, talented souls
Are truly the epitome
Of “hashtag girlgoals”.

So now that “women fighting women”
Is officially a has-been cliché,
Let’s say that 2018 will be all about unity, friendship and strength,
And maybe the odd glass of rosé (!)