1

Women

The vital essence of life
The embryo of the future
The foundation of existence
Woman, mother, daughter and sister
Eradicate them, and there is nothing

There was a day when silence encircled them
 A day when
if she wrote a poem,
it was under a man’s name
if she sang a song or acted
she was unrefined
molested
if she pursued sport
she was wild and foolish,
ill-treated
Her fate was chosen,
by father, husband, brother
could she be a doctor, lawyer, judge?
Her capacities were doctored, lawyered and judged

Who made that resolve? Men?
We voted out that archaic nonsense
We reveal our strength
We enlarge science, literature and history
We sweep away the ancient axioms
We create men, give birth to them
          but we have raised them poorly
forgotten the most important lessons
flawed arrogant sons
We give them life to be our partners,
but some turn against us
consider us emotional, illogical
Our faults are plain
            we failed in solidarity
did not teach you well
We love you at birth and as you grow
bring you to flourish
Don’t teach power and destruction
Don’t teach slaughter,
belief in demagogues
No, we nourish you
take care of you
If you are wounded or lost

We do not give birth to soldiers, to fighters
We give to our world, humans born to no caste
            We are your mothers, sisters and lovers,
But above all, we are your equal.

             2

We never choose a religion
            we were forced to it,
kindly and lovingly.
            Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist
Is there more
We were born to one shadow
the same blind practise
we raise our children to one
with no question asked.

Women
Let’s stop shaping our children
Let them choose
Let them see
Let them read our history
that all religions killed just the same
each justifies carnage
But
had slaughtered just the same
behave, just the same
If I don’t believe in one
then I am the enemy

but am I

No, I am just a free-spirited woman
who doesn’t like to be told
who loves to learn and choose
That is all

             3

Women
have we talked
discussed and reasoned
Let’s see
if women were ruling the world
would we have as many conflicts
wars
sick competitions
No!
After all science has proven
We are the wise ones!
stronger ones
most caring, reliable
brave ones
Let’s prove it,
with us in power
there will be a safer world
Are you up to it?
Let’s go

               4

Sisterhood, Motherhood
you are the daughter I never had
darling you are my sister, from another mother
I cannot trust anyone but you
But
it all falls into a blackhole
if one doesn’t play as one wishes
doesn’t share the same opinion
has a new idea
is strong minded, a fighter
Then, all is forgotten

we are sisters to joy and to sorrow
link rivers to oceans
channels and mirror the poles
through the sky
women the divine messengers
passing through, from all colours
key to a successful sisterhood,
unification, acceptance, reverence,
if we don’t have that then we are men

             5

She is a cricket
         who chirps in the field
                  spreads love and devotions
though the storm comes along
rain falls in torrents,
drowning
although as soon as deluge is clear
the cricket, the little musician
           undaunted, resumes
                     with another song
                                 with glory of enchantment
delightfully binges on the seeds

By Nasreen Pejvack
From her book of poems “Waiting”.

http://examine-consider-act.ca/Articles.html 
http://examine-consider-act.ca/ 

Nasreen Pejvack is a former Programmer/System
Analyst and Counselor/, who has worked in
Ottawa, California, and Vancouver.
As of 2014, she is an author whose historical novel “Amity” was published by Inanna Publications in 2015. Amity was a finalist for BC’s 2016 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Following Amity’s success, she published a book of short tales inspired by her experiences of life in Canada, “Paradise of the Downcasts” and also a book of poetry, “Waiting,” both published in 2018. Nasreen was also a judge for BC’s 2018 Fiction Prize.