Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing is so gentle as real strength. (St. Francis de Sales)
A poem for Friday - about women and strength. I wrote this because every one of us is fighting a battle within. Something I have learned recently is that as women, what it takes to be strong is just that which the world views as our weakness. It is only through our ability to express our emotional selves that fearlessness emerges, i.e., we do not become strong by denying our right to our emotions. In fact, it is that aspect of our gender which makes us strong and beautiful, that we can feel. And that the presence of emotion does not equate to the absence of reason or intellect. Through expression of emotion, we learn to love powerfully, we learn to be fearless, and we learn that emotion is what sets us apart from the automated response of a machine. You can teach a machine to think. You cannot teach a machine to feel. The impact of that is huge, it's immensely powerful. And it takes a strong and secure man to not only recognize this, but to value it.
Strength of A Woman
the strength of a woman
cannot be found
in the steel of her gaze
in the hardness of her heart
in the stoutness of her speech
in the fierceness of her fire
in the weight of her words
in the anger of her actions
in the measure of her might
nor the tartness of her tongue
the world would make a man of her
and thieve her of her tears
it thrusts upon her armor
to battle all its fears.
yet warrior dwells within her soul
guardian of strength untold
woman's strength is molded then
from stuff much more substantial:
the essence of emotion
the truth of her tears
the sensuousness of her Self
the fragility of fear
the tenderness within her heart
the ease of her embrace
the softness of her sorrow
the wisdom of her ways
her armor is her gentleness
compassion is her sword
warrior dwells within her soul
where light and love are stored
