I Am Woman

I Am Woman

i am woman

and i choose to be

undefined by history

 or any category

i care not for your labels

whether you are feminism,

misogyny or patriarchy

i care not for your titles

whether you represent priesthood

scholarship or royalty

i care not for your approval

whether you are friends

kinsmen, or family

i’m not looking for entrance

into sisterhoods

that may be open

or break into brotherhoods

that are closed off to me

of all the talk of victims

and oppressors

i have grown

very weary

i am done

with the division

the blame

the otherness

and tribal hostility

i acknowledge

what it means to be a woman

the suffering

the anguish the brutality

and so

i’m ready to forgive

and heal

from the portion of pain

bestowed by my gender

on my cells

as dark memory

i’m ready to move on

and discover my own

authenticity

i embrace

both my raw masculine power

and soft nurturing femininity

i embrace

both my masculine

other worldly spirit

and my feminine

child-bearing body

i will follow the dictates

of my deepest

most mysterious intuition

i will read

the text of my life

vision and body

i will answer the

ancient wordless song

of my divine soul

and submit, Beloved

only to Thee

to Your writ

brought from upon High

to the example

of the best of creation

You sent as

Your loving emissary

When You have shown me

such incredible Grace

Love and Generosity

why would i care

what the world

thinks or says

or does to me?

in slavehood and submission

to You

am i completely whole

beyond fractures and duality

in my willful bondage

to You alone

i find myself Home

and completely free

28th november 2015

Shahbano Aliani 

image: with thanks via Iraj Jahanshahi on facebook

for a copy of "Set My Heart On Fire" in pakistan nalayn publications

in South Africa intent publishing
and internationally via amazon