I am a passionate woman. I am passionate about womanhood. Womankind. I am not a feminist but I cheer women on. I support my sisters. It doesn’t mean that I do not get angry with women who are not good for the sisterhood.

Today is National Women’s Day in South Africa. It commemorates the 1956 march of about 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria against the “pass laws”: something to do with the Apartheid system back then. Today, for many of us in South Africa, we celebrate women more than on any other day.

But, every day can be a woman’s day.

In 2006, I wrote the original version of my poem entitled ‘Woman’. It wasn’t on Women’s Day. I wrote it for some of my female colleagues. I shared the poem with them. It was added to my collection of poems. I didn’t have many then. I wrote poetry in 1996 to 1999. Then I stopped writing. “Woman” was written at the time when poetry called me back.

I have published the poem here before. However, I have revised it a couple of times or so. My poetry book, Crossroads and Conquests: Odyssey of a Woman: Poetry, available on Amazon, has the 2018 version.

It is now almost 5 o’clock in the afternoon and I’m still in my pyjamas. Apart from my usual ‘less cheery’ month of August and current ‘less pleasant’ space where I find myself during the week, I suppose I’m just lethargic today. It hasn’t been a complete waste though. Today, as women in South Africa celebrate their day, I stayed in bed and rewrote ‘Woman’.

WOMAN

Woman, you are
A beautiful being
An incredible creation
An awesome manifestation
Of universe’s magnificence

You have been created
As proof of Almighty’s love
See yourself worthy
Of all your needs and wants

Woman, remember
You are a queen’s daughter
You are of royal blood

Stop and think
Before you allow yourself
To be treated less
Than what you deserve

Stand firm and tall
Against all of them
Who refuse to treat you well
And resent your intelligence

They wish to keep you silent
When you should speak
Let your voice be heard
Declare your very own choices

Only you decide
What is right for you
You have the power to say “No.”

~~~

I want to understand
What goes on in your mind
I want to know if your kind heart
Fails to recognize the lies

I hear you have fallen for someone
Who doubts you’re good enough
One who isn’t comfortable
That you are a somebody
And left you with a broken soul

It saddens me to know
That a man unworthy
Of you and your attention
Steals your joy
When he takes your heart
And casts it aside as he desires

Wake up, woman
See him for what he is
Realize that you are
Worthy of much more
Than one hundred percent
Of love, loyalty and respect

~~~

Woman, be proud of who you are
Embrace the body that you have
You are indeed most beautiful
Truly, both inside and out

Deep within your heart is pure
And should be filled with love
For yourself first
Then for everyone else
Give your greatest gift

That compassion you possess
Share with lovers and friends
But most of all, with the children
Whose life sprang from yours

Woman, smile
The world is yours
You have the power
To be victorious
The happiness you deserve
Is definitely within reach
Go forth and go for it

August 2019 edition © Anna Jailene Aguilar

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Much love and hugs,

Anne J