Poetry Friday: Two poems in celebration of Women's History Month

Poetry Friday is hosted by Dori at Dori Reads 

March 1st is the beginning of Women's History Month, and the news of the day is that the Blunt Amendment (an assault against a woman's right to health care) was barely defeated in the Senate, and that a certain right-wing "pundit" launched an all-out character assassination of a young law school student speaking out about women's rights. What has our country come to?  Sigh... So here are two poems by two poets who give us much to celebrate:

Mary Oliver

Alice Walker

The Journey by Mary Oliver One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice— though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. "Mend my life!" each voice cried. But you didn't stop. You knew what you had to do, though the wind pried with its stiff fingers at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible. It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones. But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do— determined to save the only life you could save.

Before you knew you owned it 

by Alice Walker

Expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out
Take only enough
Stop short of urge to plead
Then purge away the need.

Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart
Or greater than a star;
Tame wild disappointment
With caress unmoved and cold
Make of it a parka
For your soul.

Discover the reason why
So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.