Susan Daniels Poetry

we do not name ourselves
borrowing first our fathers’
and then our husbands’ names

adding them behind the first name
like a string of  shiny beads
telling the world
who we belong to

because we must
belong to someone

because an unpiloted
unnamed woman
is dangerous

& might just think
for herself

or do something radical
like not follow man
or a man at all

and instead
be led by God

or even
herself.

***This is an old one I just found in my file drawer–unfortunately, it is not old enough for me.  It was written in response to a conversation I had with the  pastor of a church I was a member of about 8 years ago, in which I told him I intended to leave and join another church that was more involved in helping our community.  You know, stuff like feeding the poor, etc.  This young man (younger than me by not much, but still younger), told me in all sincerity that since I was a woman, unmarried and fatherless, I needed to go through him or the deacon board at the church to make a decision of that magnitude.  Needless to say, I never darkened their door again.  So, the poem is old, just tweaked by me a little this morning.  Hope you like.