THE PATRIARCHY BLANKET (for Peaches)

a wise woman said:  patriarchy is like a blanket
that you snuggle under when it's cold
and you're not quite awake yet
and you want to stay warm and dreamy,
but once you're out in the cold,
you *wake up*.

i woke up.
i saw the injustice of it,
the way it infantilizes,
renders impotent the feminine.
i threw off the blanket,
i am awake.

now i know my power, small still
but growing.
i sense it and flex my muscles,
astonished at how good it feels.

out in the cold but getting warmer
by my own actions.
10/23/99

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