Life brings challenges beyond our control, and these challenges can sometimes be great burdens. But when we use our voices and express our truth, we can turn those burdens into new light and fresh growth for ourselves and for the world. I wrote this poem for a friend 22 years ago. I thought I would give it some new light today.
The Shape of Water
All this weather
In a woman’s voice, it is matter of fact
Prophetic and profound
Because it is commonplace
That itchy little annoyance that turns up the dis-ease
That makes you or breaks you
All this weather
That never quite settles a person in one place or another
Just continual change
Until there is no particular sensation drawing the mark
Between rain and shine
No particular sensation
Bleeding into the flood waters – the runoff from the world
And blending so that one can no longer claim: “those tears are mine!”
…Even if one wants to
Defiance…submission…victory…weather
Do you know that the shape of water is round?
Like earth, like sun, like moon
Like life and death
Like submission and victory
There is no beginning or end – only weather
But do you know
That a woman’s voice will change the world slowly?
Light will creep in where she unburdens her heart
And leave the yellow-pink glow of sunset
Looming over the yield of years and years of weather:
Little green sensations.
© H. Hennenburg, 1 February 1998
Joyfully linking with Poets & Storytellers United.
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My dearest hope is that women’s voices will change the world. Some already are – Alexandria Cortez, and the New Zealand prime minister.
Wow, H! You were born to write. This poem is just one of your best. One day, hopefully soon I’ll come back to it. So much to take away.
But on the splendid news, I heard today…
Congratulations on your recent publication. Yours is a long-awaited book, I’ve downloaded my copy (thanks for the free download) and I’ll be reading you soon. Be well!
Change often comes slowly, but it will come. May we all hear, and welcome, the voice that longs to change us from darkness into light.
It fits for these times. I love the part about bleeding into floodwaters the runoff of the world.
Women do change the world, either directly or indirectly through the men in their lives. Direct means has made much progress since ’98. The concept of tear distribution hadn’t concerned me much until now. Sort of like where does your spit go and what adventures await it once it has gone spitooey. Or the baby bird after leaving the nest.
Congratulations on your book. I will look it up. And thank you for peeking in on my write.
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Perfect for right now, not just the reminder that our voices can shape anything and everything, but also the fact that even disaster–or, perhaps, especially disaster–is part of the circle of life… and eventually, better days will grow out of all this bad. “The shape of water is round”, balanced, and promising.
How lucky for me I clicked on this post … I would have missed the pleasure of reading your poem. Which is awesome. Thank you.
As timely today as it was 22 years ago, perhaps even moreso. Beautiful write.
I love how you wove this so beautifully. A woman’s voice can indeed, change the world. So many women to count…. thnk of Greta , Mother Teresa……
Yes, I do believe a woman’s voice will change the world slowly 🙂 this is such a stunning write. Congratulations on your book! I am so happy for you!!
Well women cannot do any worse than men who feel that someone has to lose rather than try to make everyone profit.
I love that the weather is in a woman’s voice, Heather, and that the shape of water is round (like a woman’s) and the final stanza is so true!
the poem is as relevant today as it was over twenty years ago when it was written.
i really like the last stanza. perhaps that will really be true. because there is more patience and compassion in a woman, and that is what the world needs now. See how the female leaders of New Zealand, Taiwan and Germany are reacting so successfully to the coronavirus crisis.
Oh I love the shape of water being round … beautifully written.
Beautifully written, and that final line is just perfect in every way.
As relevant now as it was 22 years ago–this is such a beautiful write! I hope that women’s voices will continue to create weather
Ah yes the circle of water the shape of life.
Clever images in your poem
Have a good week
Muchlove
A timeless poem. It inspired a train of thought for me.
It makes me think of a line from the song by Ten Years After.
“I’d love to change the world but I don’t know what to do. So I leave it up to you.”
Then there’s another song that comes to mind.
“I am not a pretty girl, it isn’t what I do.”
Here I am, a woman who sees the ways we could be kinder to one another. But since I am a strange old bird and not pretty at all, I have a hard time making myself heard. The world doesn’t tend to listen to women who look like me.
Then again, they don’t tend to listen to the women that men fall all over themselves to get near either.
We need women’s voices. Testosterone storms our ears and I for one am weary of it. Congratulations on your book!!
i like this prophetic, eloquent poem. great work!