rebellion isn’t always active. it can be
the shake of a head no, sitting down
on a bus & refusing to stand,
stubborn flesh slacked into
complete noncooperation:
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED
it is not always a raised fist.
it can be personal & public
as loving a man but slipping the yoke
of convention, raising your children
unmarried & with your last name
not for lack of love but shuddering away
from ownership shown on the left hand
while offering up a heart
in the palm of the right
rebellion, sometimes
is simply speaking truth
in a room full of lies–
the boy saying the emperor is naked,
or Magellan ignoring arguments
and plotting circumnavigation
***we are talking about rebellion over at Dverse today. If you want to join us, the fun starts at 3 EST.
Susan Daniels Poetry 
“from ownership shown on the left hand
while offering up a heart
in the palm of the right”
I truly adore this.
Mama, thank you!
I love this line…
“rebellion, sometimes
is simply speaking truth
in a room full of lies–”
full of truth
Doris, thank you!
How do you keep writing such beautiful stuffs over and over again …. A unique subject every time …. Amazing !!!
oh, gosh, thanks. I just write them as I get them. You are too kind, my friend!
Rebellion, eh? Have to think on that one… You’ve certainly hit the nail on the head in many ways with this one. Love it.
Thanks, Hollyanne! Sometimes rebellion can be a quiet thing…
rebellion is simply speaking the truth in a room full of lies…so true…and love those that are willing to stand knowing full well they will pay for doing so….you def rocked it with this one…wow on the graphic too…
Brian–thanks so much–rebellion is something I am rather familiar with 😉
rebellion, sometimes
is simply speaking truth
in a room full of lies–
the boy saying the emperor is naked….yes…there’s this quiet, everyday rebellion, that sometimes is even more powerful than that, fought with spear and sword
thank you, Claudia–it very much is!
I like the kind of rebel who will speak the truth in a roomful of lies! Rebels def can be a positive force for good! And thank goodness for rebels like Magellan.
Thanks, Mary! I think they can be forces for good, too!
Oh I love that last stanza, that is something I find myself doing often. And that Emporer? Well he showed up in a poem I wrote recently too called Call for Acceptance. Love the exploration throughout here, nicely done.
ohhhh–I am going to have to go look for that guy on your blog 🙂 Thanks very much!
Awesome write, Susan. Loved it from the very beginning – ‘ rebellion isn’t always active. it can be the shake of a head no’ K
Oh, thanks so much!
rebellion, sometimes
is simply speaking truth
in a room full of lies
I love EVERYTHING about this poem…the sentiment is absolutely spot on. rebellion doesn’t always have to be overt….sometimes its the small things…and yes… sometimes its just speaking the truth….that quote above..that is universal and timeless
Stu, thank you so very much! Really glad you liked.
Everyone else has picked my favourite lines. Congrats on a really strong poem.
Thanks very much, Tony! I hate when that happens…
that last stanza is so true, and so great. i just hate lies, and a room full of lies…i don’t think i could take that.
dear brother
me neither!
brilliant and thought provoking, I may need to give it a whirl after reading this one, Susan. 🙂
oh, Jane–you should–would love to see your take 😉
& thank you!
Non violence is the most powerful form of rebillion on this planet, and I think the economics of non violence should part of the K-12 school curriculm!
But by far my favorite verses are:
“speaking the truth
in a room full of lies”
Know that takes courage!
Jessica–thanks so much…agreed.
It can indeed take many forms and doesn’t always mean a violent one either. I really like this because you’ve made some very real and valid points, about the single woman refusing to wear a man’s ring and yet, still offering her heart in the other open hand. Yes, many ways to rebel and you’ve written so really good ones.
Great poem.
Thank you so much–on a personal note–that single woman is me–have the name I was born with & no ring–call me crazy, it is my form of quiet rebellion 😉
Susan, love this… that second passage is all me… love of my life, 4 kids, never mariied no ring, 51 lol… love it.
Of course, I’m a single unmarried widow now… just doesn’t have the same ring to it does it?
Yeah, know what you mean 🙂
I love how you describe rebellion in so many different ways.
Thanks so much, Dana
I like your voice on rebellion…sometimes it can be the quiet one that is most powerful and can bring change ~
Happy weekend to you ~
Thanks much–I agree–less noise does equal more action, I believe. Happy weekend to you too!
not for lack of love but shuddering away
from ownership shown on the left hand
while offering up a heart
in the palm of the right
Powerful image ina well constructed poem.
thanks much.
Rebellion takes so many forms. It’s not wanting to conform to whatever pressure or insistence. Rightly so Susan!
Hank
thanks, Hank!
Sometimes rebellion is also this:
Wonderful scene from one of my favorite movies!
Very true! And still, no matter in which form the rebellion comes, it still is effective and still as heartfelt! Well said Susan!
Thank you–sometimes, the simple choices we make are pure rebellion.oh, thanks so much!
“from ownership shown on the left hand
while offering up a heart
in the palm of the right’ Now how come I never thought of marraige in these wonderful lines? Well done!
Thanks! My aversion to ownership shining through, even though it has mostly been filtered out…shame on me 😉