(for those of you on mobile devices : YouTube link)
lost petition: for an endangered species | Amanda Oaks
applauding Clarissa Pinkola Estés
where are you my wild women on
the brink of brutish but upholding
a close upkeep of grace & beauty,
growing taller than those old bones,
swelling & singing deeper than you
ever thought possible, does that
dark man visit your dreams, breathe
down your neck, sayin’ hey lady you'd
better pay attention, i told him last
night that i crossed that sacred,
shallow river seven times, he said
woman, do it slower next time, you
gotta be silent to hear the crackle
of the fire, i said that i've seen too
many fingers go quick to lips, that my
flames burn on the inside & they're not
hard to miss, that our submissiveness
has been the cement holding together
our mother’s mismanagement & it's
his mess that bloats all our hearts,
popping red balloons too heavy to
float, we have held in our tender
hands the same hopes & worries
of our mothers & their mothers &...
our minds have caged the same bird
too many times over, so i will not go
gentle into this night & when i open
my eyes your ghost will not guide
me to my death because i run with
a pack of wolves, we meet our men
halfway speaking the same language,
we roll around in our rusty double
beds, mama & papas of god shouting
thunder, spitting lightning, so don't
you tell me that silence is golden,
our hands have been in our pockets
cupping loose change & lost buttons
for far too many years now, so this
is my call, my plea, my appeal, where
are you my wild-wild women, let’s
meet our men in the middle & show
the world what it means to be
free
-
I wrote this poem about 5 years ago in a rush & after reading
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. At the time, I was heavily involved in the small press poetry scene. I was writing daily, sending my words out, getting them published, connecting with some of brightest lights I know. The sect of the press I am involved with though, the men outnumber the women in mass. So this was a call out to all women to speak their truth, to shout it even, to forget what "they" say & live their lives however they wish to. Since then, I've connected with some pretty amazing women who are mind-blowing poets. They are part of my tribe, they are my friends, my soul sisters.
My tribe has grown significantly since starting KOM. I am so grateful & lucky to be connected to so many phenomenal women that are living full & unconventional lives, who are creating their truths & doing what they love. Bloggers, Artists, Creatives, KOM's readers! Love ya all!
I really love spoken word but rarely (never) get the chance to get out & do readings because my boys are so young, so... this is the result! Since I had a little free time on my hands this weekend because of my
break (while my kiddos napped) I was able to dive into some projects that I had put on the back burner, one being this video. Most of the women pictured at the beginning of this video are from KOM's
Kind Kindred tribe. I started creating this video in August, hence why not all of our
Kind Kindred are pictured. There is also my mom, my best friend, Erica, plus a handful of my awesome poet friends.
Are you doing extraordinary things? Are you living an unconventional life? Turning a deaf ear to how society has programmed the majority to live?
Share in the comments what makes you wild or
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild & precious life?
—
Mary Oliver
The Wild Women pictured:
Me,
Jenn Gibson,
Sara Smaha
Tammy Brewer,
Melissa Jo Hill,
Rebecca Schumejda
Aleathia Drehmer,
Jessica Dawson,
Connie Hozvicka
Tara Gentile,
Jessica Swift,
Carmen Torbus
Melissa Morris Ivone,
Jamie Ridler,
Brandi Reynolds
Tina Mansfield,
Tara Sophia Mohr,
Sarah Dufrechou
Mccabe Russell,
Erin Wallace,
Nicola Warwick
Amber Dawn,
Katrina Tan,
Bonnie Forkner
Danielle LaPorte,
Camila Marquez,
Jo Anna Rothman
Danette Relic,
Susannah Conway,
Jen Lemen
Tara Wagner,
Michelle Ward,
Jenn Lee,
Tiffany Moore,
Kate Swoboda
Carolyn Rubenstein,
Andrea Scher,
Gwen Bell
My Mama, Kim Oaks & My Best Friend, Erica Rose
Photos used with permission & by the extremely talented
Brooke Shaden
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Creative Commons Photo Credits:
John Niedermeyer,
Sparkling Mimi,
Anna Gutermuth,
Tim Hamilton,
Dan Barak,
Matthias Weinberger,
Anna Gay,
Graham Hellewell,
Mait Jüriado
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