An Ode To Women
By Sarah, Year 12
the women in my life
heal whatever they touch
with hands that know how to mend what’s broken
shattered teacups / shirts with holes / heavy hearts that need love
fingers brush over wounds
planting love where there is ache
we’re mother nature for a reason!
the women in my life
hold a giant, thick paintbrush
painting the world with pink yellow orange colours
in soft, loud, tired, energetic tones
walls owning spilt enraged red and pretty collages of art
homes for baking / cooking / knitting / reading / gaming / playing
/ watching / painting / makeup-ing / fashion-ing / having deep
conversations with friends-ing / talking to self-ing / filming self
diaries-ing / decorating room with polaroid photos of the world-ing /
staying in bed and simply existing hugging a plushie-ing / expressing
herself free like the feminist poster hung on my wall-ing
the women in my life
hold the world together
with feminine and masculine voices
delicate hands and clenched fists
nurturing everything with love
like how the sun kisses our skin a warmth
how the water fountain splashes our face with sprinkles and mist
as if saying have some fun
you look like you need it
we’re mother nature for a reason!
This poem, An Ode to Women, is an excerpt from orange peelings, a poetry collection written by Sarah Dee in Story Factory’s Year of Poetry program. In this program, young people commit to attending workshops for a year and write their very own poetry collection, which is professionally edited, published and launched into the Sydney literary landscape.