we keep our goddesses on the unlit side
of the moon, that darkness
where the feminine divine
answers trinity with trinity–
a stone truth echoed in our faces.
I am not the maiden I was
with razor cheekbones and pointed breasts,
those boned angles too sharp to smooth
into roundness, my words arrows
with more barbed edges.
I ran once with that archer Artemis
hunting trails through thickets
naming what she does not kill friend.
I followed her where coyotes sleep
and owls nest, laughing and mapping
our path silver across night.
but edges soften and ripen, and I let him think he led
to that want, the touches flesh cries out for
when it is full, where it opens.
my breasts remember the heaviness of milk
and I am still that lover, that mother,
though the crone suggests herself
in parentheses framing my mouth when I smile,
in silver threading through hair lightly
the way I ran through night. yes,
that gray I hide with dye is a blessing,
but I am unready for that whole wisdom
and would run in wildness and savor its sum.
***at Dverse today, we are writing about ages and stages. Here is my offering–written from where I am–in the middle 
Very nice, Susan. I like that edges soften and ripen…and that you are still that lover, that mother, and that you will run in wildness as long as you can! Determination is everything!
Wow so honest and endearing I think this is my favorite write of yours
Bruce, thank you! These prompts are making me think way too much lately
Oh Susan, you’re a true wordsmith. I get lost in your words, whatever you write about.
Sarah–thank you so much. I am humbled by your words.
I keep enjoying your work more and more, Great line work. Impressive.
Henry–thank you!
I beleive, we women are like a good wine, we get better with age. Silver, gray hair or not. I like the aging gracefully in all of this Susan.
RYN: Clever! LOL
Thanks–I agree. Interesting Mary chose this prompt, because earlier this week I had that thought flash in my mind–I am far from maiden, but nowhere near crone yet
ha the artemis section is really cool…naming what she did not kill friend….my fav part though is the chiseled youth with sharp edges…smiles..i think we all might have been once…and ultimately the humbling, softening….truth there too…we learn to live and love…
Thanks, Brian–I wanted to stay there, in the woods, but the prompt called for more stages
And yes, we do learn, and so grateful for it!
Brava! KB
Thanks, KB–also thanking you for that dark side of the moon, which fit so well here, I had to borrow that brilliance from your comment…
Lovely share on growing old gracefully ~ I think remembering and holding on to our wild side, even the child in us, will keep us younger ~
Oh, yes! I think you did the same thing with your poem, and ever so eloquently.
This is one of my favorites sfam. brilliant and I love it. I see myself in this and it’s beautiful to be in the company of woman like you.
Oh, goodness, thanking you
Awesome write, Susan! Some powerful lines and deep thoughts. Nicely done!
Charles, thank you!
YES! Run in wildness and savor its sum for as long as humanly possible. I so love this poem, dotted with coyotes and owls. Fantastic write!
Wow, Sherry, thank you! After your comment, I decided to end it on savor its sum…like that better
Whatever you tackle for subject matter, you nail it.
Nelle, thank you. This one was almost too close for me to judge, if you know what I mean…
Yes, but intuition served you will.
Thanks
ha…big yes to running in wildness as long as you can…we’re always fully all we are i think…like the moon is always full, even though we see just parts at times
Thanks, Claudia!
Reblogged this on Poetry Writers Book Shop and commented:
Lovely Poetry Voice!! XX
Thanks, Victoria!
Lovely Susan. Makes me want to ask, what is the “whole wisdom” and does it preclude one from running in wildness….I guess it does…kinda, as if we can’t have our cake and eat it too? I slept late, my brain isn’t working yet! Leo
hmmm. I guess my point was by the time we reach that “whole wisdom” most of us are incapable of running any more…
Of course…..true..I told you I was 1/2 asleep..Have a great day!
You too, Leo, and I am glad you enjoyed it
Susan – love love love this so much. And tho I haven’t told you, I have been so moved by the wonderful work you have been posting the past few weeks. I go back to re-read again and again. Very moving and beautiful work. K
Kathleen–thank you so very much! I really appreciate your comments and reading (even without the comments). Thanks so much for telling me–I am glad the work connects for you.
A fabulous result, Susan. I, too, am in the middle; and I share so many of your experiences and sentiments. Aging is quite the teacher, the refiner, the soother, the definer.
Thank you, Kim. I am loving the journey, that’s for sure.
Agh – past crone stage here. k.
Can you still run in thickets? Because if you can, I am okay with getting there…
Yes. I even run INTO thickets. Ha. k.
Cool!
A sweet poem.
Thanks, Sabio.
wow! i can relate to this big time! i particularly love the last lines-
“that gray i hide with dye is a blessing,
but I am unready for that whole wisdom
and would run in wildness and savor its sum”
this is an excellent piece! thanks for sharing.
Oh, thanks so much. I was glad for the prompt this week
Deep within, inside us, we carry our true selves, deep, unchanging, even when the externals change but inside the true core remains…and the beauty of your poem is that you point us to this essential and universal truth and the paradox of our realities that we change and yet remain unchanged, alive, throbbing, slowing modifying the expressions of that internal throb, but still throbbing and thus very human, man and woman alike! well done, Susan! Forgive my free comment – there is some riot in it, I know!
Oh, Noel–please, pretty please riot anywhere in these comments you like–I enjoy the result! I am so there, with that “alive, throbbing, slowing modifying” expression. It is not only personal but a human truth.
You say these words so powerfully and gracefully
Oh, thank you…