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1 Jan: "A Woman Speaks" by Audre Lorde

A Woman Speaks

Related Poem Content Details

Moon marked and touched by sun   
my magic is unwritten 
but when the sea turns back 
it will leave my shape behind.   
I seek no favor 
untouched by blood 
unrelenting as the curse of love   
permanent as my errors 
or my pride 
I do not mix 
love with pity 
nor hate with scorn 
and if you would know me 
look into the entrails of Uranus   
where the restless oceans pound. 

I do not dwell 
within my birth nor my divinities   
who am ageless and half-grown   
and still seeking 
my sisters 
witches in Dahomey 
wear me inside their coiled cloths   
as our mother did 
mourning. 

I have been woman 
for a long time 
beware my smile 
I am treacherous with old magic   
and the noon's new fury 
with all your wide futures   
promised 
I am 
woman 
and not white.

5 comments:

  1. Lots of power packed into those words and lines. I'd like to dive deeper into this poem later. The lack of punctuation adds to multiple readings.

    I, you, and our POV.

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  2. Unwritten
    Untouched
    Unrelenting

    Emptier opposites than the same words that could have been used: clean, pure, etc
    Flips the emotion of the poem to cold, darker tones, regret.

    Moon, sea, blood, Uranus, birth, divinities, magic....almost likes she wants to open herself up to more of the majesty, but has also sworn herself to the coldness.

    Water on Uranus?!

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    Replies
    1. Nice catch with the "Un" words. I like that.

      I don't know much about Uranus (almost a fun pun), but oceans do not have be water. Oceans on Earth are water. Other planets could have other liquids, lakes, rains, or oceans.

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    2. Game changer, http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/diamond-oceans-may-cover-neptune-and-uranus

      Uranus might have oceans of liquid diamonds.

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    3. Pun, indeed. Who knew?!

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