I Have Been 1000 Different Women Before

I keep coming back to Emory Hall’s exquisite poem I have been a thousand different women. This is one of those poems that hooked me personally. My Spotify music player played a version of this song recently, without me pressing any buttons. I remember pulling my car over that day to pause and let it sink in. Powerful.

It moves me to make peace with all of the women I have been over the past decades.  The ones I am proud of, the ones I’d like to forget, the ones who suffered and felt joy. All of them.  

And the ones yet to be.

And then to imagine them, all the women I have been, the bones of a temple. And more, to imagine, and honour all the women, my ancestors, my mother and grandmothers. All of these bones resting, maybe composting.

Imagining all of these rivers of wisdom, leading toward the sea.

I sit with a poem, many days, as part of my morning practice. I may make notes about it and set intentions for the day or week related to the reading.

Emory’s poems are speaking to me. I have been a thousand different women is from her book made of rivers. Check out @emoryhall

Over time I have appreciated many well known and loved poets, Mary Oliver, John O’Donohue, Rumi.