Inside me lives a working class woman *
Tinder soot on cheeks, hands of a layman
Daily I wash plates and throw away bones
Daisy feet I'm not, but wide as a cone
Inside me lives a reckless brown filly
Gin and wine I take when I feel silly
Dreams for my children, bright as the sun
Dread thoughts I keep, serene like a nun
Inside me lives my sisters, harlots all
Sins, curled in cigarette smoke, they call
Pleading for money, clothes and gossip
Pleasantries I care not, but a firm grip
Inside me lives my mother, my grandma,
Indefatigable, bold charisma
Wrongs, missteps, I shrink to a fraction,
Wrought iron I’m not, jar full of passion
Inspiration: Brazilian poet , Ana Lins dos Guimarães Peixoto, Cora Coralina: All lives
Ana published her first book when she was 75 years old.
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The working-class woman.
Pretty proletarian.
Pretty gossipy,
Imprudent, unprejudiced,
Rude,
With little slippers,
And many children. Posted for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads: OpenLinkNight - Monday
and D'verse Poets Pub : OpenLinkNight - Tuesday
Poetry form: Framed couplet - Thanks to Gay of D'verse Poets Pub
Based on Kenia's Challenge: Celebrate Feminine
Picture credit: here
Awesome piece. Draws a real character. I like this, sometimes poems like this are written too hard, but this one has strength and keeps its femininity. Great imagery in the third stanza. The last stanza referencing heritage -- love that, and it's honest.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely comments. It was a challenge to write in this form and keep her spirit in my words. I appreciate your visit ~
DeleteAmazing work...Now Iam inspired by your poem...
ReplyDeleteThank you Ashok. She is an amazing writer ~
DeleteSo beautiful... I especially like the last stanza.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie for the visit and lovely words ~
DeleteThis is a wonderful way to honor your ancestral feminine. Your poem is very direct and powerful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Myrna for the visit and lovely words ~
DeleteThis is really good, Grace. The first and third lines are my favorites, along with the imagery of "daisy feet." We know who we are not and which influences live inside us---but oh, to know who we are. Strong, serene, firm, and full of passion. A pretty unstoppable combination, if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteTells a lovely story of life through experience, history and positive pride. Beautiful.
ReplyDeletevery nice. So many things we are.....
ReplyDeleteWow so much inside there at your lair. Creating quite the mixture indeed. Just don't be a nun on the run that is no fun..haha
ReplyDeleteThis is just excellent, Grace. I love the many faces of a woman you have portrayed here.
ReplyDeleteA powerful piece!
ReplyDeletenice...i like the acknowlegedgement that all these people live inside you...each person leaves an impression....and i have similar hopes and dreams for my kids....very personal write, i like this much...
ReplyDeleteOh I so love this poem! Inside all of us....so many women. Great writing, Grace.
ReplyDelete"Inside me lives my sisters, harlots all
ReplyDeleteSins, curled in cigarette smoke,"
I love the dense smoky feel of this description, Heaven! Nicely done!
Amazing piece, Heaven. Really alive.
ReplyDeleteboth the poem and its inspiration are remarkably powerful.such posts keep opening new horizons.
ReplyDeletebeautiful...full of acceptance to what simply is for her.
ReplyDeleteDamn, that challenge brought out alot of feelings and a lot of great poetry. Sometimes its difficult to be introspective when we know a least a small part of the world will be reading. But, we still do it, and it makes the most beautiful lines....great work.
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic...to know what is inside and accept...to grow from those genetic plantings...A marvelous piece!!
ReplyDeleteI like it when you use rhymes....
ReplyDeleteI think you are spending too much time in Pat's blog ..ha..ha..~
DeleteThanks for the visit Dez ~
LOL, it's just that most people like you who have poetry blogs don't do rhymes, so I'm happy when you do it :)
DeleteGood work here! I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm seeing in this image that accompanies the poem...unlike most of your images, where I am VERY sure of what I'm seeing!
ReplyDeleteWe are all the lives we have lived, and in us lives the dreams of generations. What a wonderful theme, and so touching that you saw this in the face of Coralina.
ReplyDeleteVery nicely done! I was especially struck by these lines:
ReplyDeleteInside me lives my sisters, harlots all
Sins, curled in cigarette smoke, they call
Very nice Heaven. I love how each stanza changes tone, as you speak about each within. The singsong nature to the children's stanza is outstanding. Very nice read. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHeaven, I love this poem. I do think we all have many facets inside us. Your poem expressed this very well.
ReplyDeleteThe way you formed it..the lines, it was easy to picture. I love your writing :)
ReplyDeleteit's all in our genes. and then, what about the concept fo collective memory
ReplyDeleteapollo and the two muses
This carries much energy and much wisdom. We are all "everyman/everywoman." Each stanza was so finished and complete. Together they comprise a powerful portrait. Great lines throughout. Nice job.
ReplyDeletewonderful!
ReplyDeleteA awesome write that resonates with me!
ReplyDeleteI love it, Grace.
grrr! i covet your talent! :)
ReplyDeleteSo many characters and walks of life embraced into a soul and this is wonderfully displayed...really touching piece love, I really enjoyed this :)xoxo
ReplyDeleteI love how you describe the diversity of women inside you. Thanks for sharing Cora Coralina with us - I'm going to check her out now. How wonderful is it to still be seeking and sharing at 75 - that's gonna be me!
ReplyDeleteShe is a remarkable woman. I am inspired by her writing ~
DeleteThanks for the visit ~
Very archetypal.
ReplyDeleteAnd humanistic.
Inside me lives...
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea for this woman. I have tried finding English interpretations of her work.... do you know of any?
You have to translate the page to English but here is one link to her translated poems: Scroll down the page for her poems ~
Deletehttp://www.paralerepensar.com.br/coracoralina.htm
Thank you. I will do this tomorrow.
DeleteThis was a new voice for me. I really liked it. The rhymes, meter, scheme, message. A very sellable piece of poetry. Excellente!
ReplyDeleteThank you Henry for the visit and kind words ~
DeleteI love what you've done here, Heaven! This poem is full of beauty, while your inspiration rings through.
ReplyDeleteAll your poems (I do read them all in email) are wonderful!
-Eva
Thank you Eva for your lovely words. I appreciate them.
Deleteinside me lives a working class woman
ReplyDeletetinder soot on cheeks, hands of a layman
daily i wash plates and throw away bones
daisy feet i'm not, but wide as a cone
... had to transcribe this graph. too good not to allow my fingertips the experience. i like a lot after it, too, the filly, the jar of passion.
The tinder soot, and the sisters curled in cigarette smoke especially vivid images. Good job. K.
ReplyDeleteHey Girl!
ReplyDeleteInside of you. I do not recall reading a poem quite like this. I DO believe that reality AND the Great Reality live inside you.
This post, characterized by openness and honesty is what I will sleep with tonight--minutes from now! But in terms of me, ya know? (Gotta be honest!)
I like the "family" biz at the end. After all that IS who I really am, no matter HOW I try to change it...
very cool..i like how you paint the character here, using both, what she is and what she isn't.. thanks for introducing ana as well...first book published with 75..this is way cool..
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteI've not heard of this poet before, but what an inspiration. Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
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Thoughts Of Beauty In The Stillness Of Dawn...
A lot of people in there....... seriously we all have a piece of all we meet inside us....
ReplyDeleteOh I could not find an email to reply to you regarding comments, mines on my page somewhere
DeleteAstonishing and inspiring!
ReplyDeleteJung claimed we all have a place in the collective unconscious. Brilliantly elucidated here. A perceptive and intelligent write.
ReplyDeleteOh I like. Very nice, what you've done with her inspiration. I also Love her poem!
ReplyDeleteYour poem is inspiring, and I really love your wording. You've paid a true homage to her poetry...thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteA reflection of a woman's life in all it's multicoloured beauty- what a great tribute to the poet who inspired it
ReplyDeleteAmazing poem, simply powerful, powerfully simple. Just salt of thevearth with the eyes of a butterfly.
ReplyDeleteAh, this was just stupendous!
ReplyDeleteI've somehow stumbled on your blog and just finished reading your poem. It is simply lovely. "Sins, curled in cigarette smoke..." evokes wonderful pictures in my mind. I will have to spend the next few days exploring your poetry. Could you tell me where the picture of the hands comes from, please?
ReplyDeleteHi there!
DeleteThe picture credit is from this blog:
http://silent-musings.tumblr.com/post/18912522850
Thanks for the visit ~