A woman free

Self Portrait~ Charleen Johnston 5-28-24

THE SONG OF A WOMAN FREE 

I am a woman free. My song 
Flows from my soul with pure and joyful strength. 
It shall be heard through all the noise of things — 
A song of joy where songs of joy were not. 
My sister singers, singing in the past, 
Sang songs of melody but not of joy — 
For woman's name was Sorrow, and the slave 
Is never joyful tho he smiles. 
I am a woman free. Too long 
I was held captive in the dust. Too long 
My soul was surfeited with toil or ease 
And rotted as the plaything of a slave. 
I am a woman free at last 
After the crumbling centuries of time. 
Free to achieve and understand ; 
Free to become and live. 

I am a woman free. With face 
Turned toward the sun, I am advancing 
Toward love that is not lust, 
Toward work that is not pain. 
Toward home which is the world, 
Toward motherhood which is not forced, 
And toward the man who also must be free. 

With face turned toward the sun, 
Strong and radiant-limbed, 
I advance, singing, 
And my song is as free 
As the soul from which it flows. 
I advance toward that which is, but was not; 
Toward that which is not, but is yet to be. 

I, the free woman, advance singing, 
And with face turned toward the sun. 
Let Ignorance and Tyranny 
Tremble at the sound of my feet. 
I am a woman free. 

Singing the song of joy, 
Strong and radiant-limbed, 
I advance toward the work which waits for me, 
The joyful work out in my home the world ; 
And toward the man who is my mate. 
Oh I am strong and magnetic — 
I have not wasted myself in sensuality; 
And equally strong and magnetic 
Is the man who is my mate. 

For the glory of Motherhood 
I have conserved my strength. 
And for the glory of Fatherhood 
He has conserved his strength. 
I have passed by the lovers 
Who passionately called to me in the name of love, 
But whose lips were only hot with lust. 
I have remained true to my own soul 
And to the souls which are enfolded within me • 
And no man shall mingle his body with mine 
Who is not pure. 

I am the free woman, 
No longer a slave to man, 
Or anything in all the universe — 
Not even to myself. 

I am the free woman. 
I hold and seek that which is mine : 
Strength is mine and purity; 
World work and cosmic love; 

The glory and the joy of Motherhood. 
I am not strong and clean for myself alone, 
But for all people ; 
My work and my love are for all people ; 
And I shall not be the mother of one child, 
But of all children — 
For I myself am the daughter 
Of all women and all men. 
Oh I am free ! My song 
Flows from my soul with pure and joyful strength ; 
It shall be heard thru all the noise of things — 
A song of joy where songs of joy were not. 

Oh I am free ! I thrill 
With radiant life and gladness. 
I advance toward all that waits for me. 
I chant the song of Freedom as I go. 
My face is toward the sun, 
My soul is toward the light, 
My feet arc turned toward all that waits for me. 
I advance! I advance! 
Let Ignorance and Tyranny 
Tremble at the sound of my song! 

~Ruth Le Prade