Day 14: Dispatches from the Belly of Empire

Rising
by Beth Weaver-Kreider

We who have been trained to wait
to sit back and watch as others led
to lower our gazes, to soften our eyes
to be good and caring and tender and wise
but not too wise, not too knowing

Oh yes we have been good
yes we have been care-ful
with our lowered eyes we have watched
the shadows cross the floor
seen the reflected shape of things
and we have waited
tending the flames
of the sleeping maidens
and we have indeed been wise

And now we rise and lift our gaze
to the horizon open our hands
holding the tools of our tapestries
the circles we have built
the worlds we have created
the seeds we have planted
season after season

We do not have to storm the gates
the very foundations of their towers
shake and crumble as we rise
topple and tumble as we rise
roar and rumble as we rise
as we rise
as we rise