Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Ode to a Woman on the Edge of Time

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You risked those
cliff edges of forbidden
topics and family storms
to pen dramatic truths of
women and their battles of
validation and identity.
You refused to be confined or
shaped by men's structure,
demands, or
capricious grammatical rules.
Your work inspired my life
choices, my master's thesis,
my daughter's name, and
my writing style.
To always, always tell
the emotional truth and
honor my feelings, my
history, my needs,
my tears.
Thank you for
not only helping find
my voice, but to speak
with it in my writing.

(Written for the prompt at Poets United, "Writers are Lovers", 10/9/13)

13 comments:

  1. An admirable woman. Forgive me for asking, but who is she?

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  2. I LOVE Marge Piercy and read her avidly when I was younger. She also writes great poetry - I especially love the one where she skulks past the cosmetic counter like a raccoon:) Great poem and terrific writer. I, too, love how she risked the cliff edges. Love your reference to one of her best books in your title.

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  3. Awesome. It's so true that someone's words can have such a profound affect on the direction of our lives. Great piece.

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  4. This is the best description of Marge Piercy's work I have ever read. Go Diva! I confess that when I saw her picture at the top of this page my heart beat faster and I thought OH! She writes under a pen name! It took a minute to see you writing about her. I took a memoir-writing workshop with her and Ira at Omega this summer, and am thinking about applying to her poetry writing workshop. Have you done that? It's an expensive intensive with a small group out on Cape Cod near her home.

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    Replies
    1. I would sooooo love to do something like that!

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  5. Love the way you have capture her spirit.

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  6. great tribute..and you added to my learning curve.. Marge Piercy was unknown to me... so someone new to discover... :)

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  7. Well done! She's one of my top favourites too, inspiring in both her work and her life.

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  8. I can feel through your poem how strongly she influenced you. I love your mention that she not only helped you to find your voice but also to speak with it in your writing. I do think Marge Piercy would be pleased.......as would any of the rest of if we knew we influenced another poet so!

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  9. Very telling about how much you feel influenced by this poet. It is a gift in many ways...

    Eileen

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  10. such a wonderful poem of inspiration and guidance.

    i think we are often inspired and led into our own unique lives by the former footfalls of the writers whom we admire.

    i will definitely take a look into the work of marge piercy!

    stacy lynn mar
    http://warningthestars.blogspot.com/

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