Losing your voice

1.You lose your voice as a young child when you are hushed for speaking, for laughing, for reaching for a toy.

2. You lose your voice when a teacher disapproves your rabbit that doesn't look like hers.

3. You lose your voice when you are not respected by adults who expect you to respect them.

4, You lose your voice when your gender or sexual preference is diminished.

5. You lose your voice when your rights as a human being are not upheld.

1.I recovered my voice as a woman in circles of women and men who understood.

2.I gained my voice as a poet from my readers.

3.I learned real freedom as an older woman.

4. I have spent my adult life helping others to free themselves from psychological bondage.

5. Our voices need never be less in order for other voices to be more.

Imperfect World

My new book, It's Only Raven Laughing, is in my hands, and after countless rounds of proofreading, the fish pictograph is upside down, and there is a period where one should not be. I can only say, that I tried hard to avoid that happening. I sent countless sets of proofs back regarding the position of the pictograph!

And now it is time to move on to new endeavors, my poems on aging, more New Mexico poems, and just being in the now in this beautiful time of year with flower seeds sprouting, and me forgetting some of what I scattered across the terraces. Half the fun is guessing what is coming up next.

I am thinking of the fact that we gardeners create gardens for ourselves. Few other people will see them, and when they do, they will not be aware that they are looking at sore backs andarthritic hands, not to mention contented hearts!