7-26-2024 4:52am

"I AM: Proud"--Poet Jenna Ragsdale Announces Sisterhood's Return

Lesley Misko Editor

"Lioness" illustration by Sharon Merkel

Ed.: As part of Studio B Art Gallery's "I AM: Proud" project, local writers and artists were encouraged to respond to the theme. Jenna Ragsdale's poem serves as a timely statement as Kamala Harris becomes an historic candidate for U.S. President.

by Jenna Ragsdale*

"we"

women:
the orchestrators of life
weavers of time and
the thread of all blankets
the familiar hammock
the understanding eyes and
honest hearts open wide—
our red wine fills up the world
we are glorious
we are giving
we are gracious
granting everyone else grace except ourselves—
undeserving of such heavy guilt—
broken bonds of trust and
unmarked scars from pasts we have not lived
sisterhood: we are mother nature’s warriors!
new generations explode
from one to the next
as old landscapes decay
we leave old stereotypes behind
by diving into their barred minds
we are taking back everything that
we were taught was not ours:
we hold the secret of the universe between
our legs
our body
ours only
then
now
always

* Jenna Ragsdale is a Professional Writing graduate from Kutztown University. She published her first chapbook of poetry “23 Summers or Sarra” in January 2002. Currently, she’s working on her second poetry collection coming out later this year.