Woman

I am Woman
I'm not "Gal" or "Girl"
I'm not a child
to be talked down to

You joke about "politically correct"
and in that way
you can dismiss responsibility
to be sensitive, mature or kind

You may say I'm one of "those women"
as if wanting to be taken seriously
or even seen as human
is a joke or some phase I'm going through

I am Woman
God made me at the same time
that God made Man
and God made us both in God's likeness

God gave me the power to give birth,
to nurture life with my own body
to be tender and strong at the same time

God gave me anger
to protect myself and my child
but God gave me a womb
to remind me that I have the power to create

I go through physical cycles of change
regularly
maybe that makes me more adaptable
to ebbs and flows

You dismiss me as being "hormonal"
when I am creating and letting go
ocean waves crashing in my body
parts of me working together to build a life
or dismiss the possibility for now

Bishops 1800 years ago
said I didn't have a soul
that was an official church opinion
and I have paid

They also said that I am responsible
for all the sin of the world
and for all these centuries
I am blamed

Blamed for men's sexual temptations
blamed for Jesus' torturous death
blamed for all the evil in the world
Blamed 

Shamed

You say I'm angry
You bet
wouldn't you be? 
If you were accused wrongly
with no advocates to defend?

I am Woman
I have grown and developed
in wisdom and beauty
despite doors slammed in my face

despite cries of
"whore!"  "witch!" 
"bitch!" 
despite being dismissed

by sisters who decided
that it's better to play along
than to give up their position
than to be shown the door

I have sat and listened
to your stories of God
that God is only male
and only interested in men
to work for "him" 

I've been blamed for people's deaths
as punishment from God
for letting me speak in church

I've had women tell me
I have no right
to speak on behalf of God
just because I have a uterus

I listened to the stories
that told me
that women are either
whores or virgins

nothing in-between

that God hates sex
and therefore God hates me
because I, Woman, have caused
good men to sin

I've listened to litany after litany
confessing my unworthiness
to even approach God
for I am shameful

I am Woman
I am a Mother
and I would never want my children
to cower in my presence

I would never beat them
or kill them
or make them suffer
for offending or disappointing me

I am Woman
I was made in love
and I create in love

I make mistakes
but I am not my mistakes

I embody love
I embody creativity
and life and compassion

I am whole
I am fully human
I, indeed, have a soul
and a heart that can break

My power is in my love
in my ability to create
and re-build
and I am a force for healing

and I will help heal the world

you may dismiss me
you may call me names to make me
more manageable
to reduce me

but God loves me

God made me 
whole
equal
powerful
beautiful
full of light

my arms can embrace
heal
empower
and shelter

I am Woman
and I am Here