Female Poets

Lot’s Wife

Anna Akhmatova
Russian
1889 – 1966

 

And the just man trailed God’s shining agent,
Over a black mountain, in his giant track,
While a restless voice kept harrying his woman:
“It’s not too late, you can still look back

At the red towers of your native Sodom,
The square where once young sang, the spinning-shed,
At the empty windows set in the tall house
Where sons and daughters blessed your marriage-bed.”

A single glance: a sudden dart of pain
Stitching her eyes before she made a sound…
Her body flaked into transparent salt,
And her swift legs rooted to the ground.

Who will grieve for this woman? Does she not seem
Too insignificant for our concern?
Yet in my heart I never will deny her,
Who suffered death because she chose to turn.

Moon-Snow Lies on the Meadows

We present this work in honor of the poet’s 90th birthday.

Eva Strittmatter
German
1930 – 2011

 

Moon-snow lies on the meadows
as from you I go.
We’ve loved one another long now
not just since the last snow.
Yet every time, I come to you,
it’s so:
I don’t know, who I am, or where,
I’m sad and I’m madly happy.
(Part heathen and part saint.)

Shadows

In honor of the Mexican holiday, Constitution Day, we present this work by one of Mexico’s great poets.

Rosario Sansores
Mexican
1889 – 1972

 

When you will be gone
The shadows will envelop me,
When you will be gone,
I will be alone with my pain.

I will evoke this idyll
During my blue hours
When you will be gone
The shadows will envelop me.

And in the darkness
Of the small bedroom
Where during a warm afternoon
I stroked all of you
My arms will look for you
My mouth will kiss you
And I will inhale from the air
That smell of roses.
When you will be gone
The shadows will envelop me.

An Hymn to Humanity

In honor of National Freedom Day, we present this work by a poet who had her freedom taken from her.

Phillis Wheatley
American
1753 – 1784

 

I

Lo! for this dark terrestrial ball
Forsakes his azure-paved hall
A prince of heav’nly birth!
Divine Humanity behold,
What wonders rise, what charms unfold
At his descent to earth!

II

The bosoms of the great and good
With wonder and delight he view’d,
And fix’d his empire there:
Him, close compressing to his breast,
The sire of gods and men address’d,
“My son, my heav’nly fair!

III

“Descend to earth, there place thy throne;
“To succour man’s afflicted son
“Each human heart inspire:
“To act in bounties unconfin’d
“Enlarge the close contracted mind,
“And fill it with thy fire.”

IV

Quick as the word, with swift career
He wings his course from star to star,
And leaves the bright abode.
The Virtue did his charms impart;
Their G—! then thy raptur’d heart
Perceiv’d the rushing God:

V

For when thy pitying eye did see
The languid muse in low degree,
Then, then at thy desire
Descended the celestial nine;
O’er me methought they deign’d to shine,
And deign’d to string my lyre.

VI

Can Afric’s muse forgetful prove?
Or can such friendship fail to move
A tender human heart?
Immortal Friendship laurel-crown’d
The smiling Graces all surround
With ev’ry heav’nly Art.

Pad, Pad

Stevie Smith
English
1902 – 1971

 

I always remember your beautiful flowers
And the beautiful kimono you wore
When you sat on the couch
With that tigerish crouch
And told me you loved me no more.

What I cannot remember is how I felt when you were unkind
All I know is, if you were unkind now I should not mind.
Ah me, the power to feel exaggerated, angry and sad
The years have taken from me. Softly I go now, pad pad.

The Song of Australia

We present this work in honor of Australia Day.

Caroline Carleton
Australian
1811 – 1874

 

There is a land where summer skies
Are gleaming with a thousand eyes,
Blending in witching harmonies ;
And grassy knoll and forest height,
Are flushing in the rosy light,
And all above is azure bright — Australia!

There is a land where honey flows,
Where laughing corn luxuriant grows,
Land of the myrtle and the rose;
On hill and plain the clust’ring vine
Is gushing out with purple wine,
And cups are quaffed to thee and thine — Australia!

There is a land where treasures shine
Deep in the dark unfathom’d mine
For worshippers at Mammon’s shrine;
Where gold lies hid, and rubies gleam,
And fabled wealth no more doth seem
The idle fancy of a dream — Australia!

There is a land where homesteads peep
From sunny plain and woodland steep,
And love and joy bright vigils keep;
Where the glad voice of childish glee
Is mingling with the melody
Of nature’s hidden minstrelsy — Australia!

There is a land where, floating free,
From mountain-top to girdling sea,
A proud flag waves exultingly;
And freedom’s sons the banner bear,
No shackled slave can breathe the air,
Fairest of Britain’s daughters fair — Australia!

Children in Slavery

We present this work in honor of the 160th anniversary of the poet’s death.

Eliza Lee Follen
American
1787 – 1860

 

When children play the livelong day,
Like birds and butterflies;
As free and gay, sport life away,
And know not care nor sighs:
Then earth and air seem fresh and fair,
All peace below, above:
Life’s flowers are there, and everywhere
Is innocence and love.

When children pray with fear all day,
A blight must be at hand:
Then joys decay, and birds of prey
Are hovering o’er the land:
When young hearts weep as they go to sleep,
Then all the world seems sad:
The flesh must creep, and woes are deep
When children are not glad.

Selling Wilted Peonies

We present this work in honor of Chinese New Year.

Yu Xuanji
Chinese
844 – 869

 

Facing the wind, she raises a sigh as the petals fall and fall;
fragrant thoughts all sink and vanish with yet another spring.
No one asks about them, because their price is high,
though even butterflies can’t come close to a fragrance that’s so strong.
Red petals that should only have grown in a palace,
jade-green leaves tainted by the dust of the road
if only they were moved into the imperial gardens,
young nobles would regret having no means to buy!