The offering

she sits alone in her kitchen at night
after lights out
when all her outer work is done
she revisits some to do list or other
what is required of her
is it her duty or is it her purpose
which is it
she wonders
her children are fed, washed, pampered, soothed
they are mothered and she may rest
but alas, she cannot find her rest yet
there are things required of her still
offerings to be shared
so she surrenders
and her inner work begins

she sits alone in her kitchen at night
after lights out
and contemplates on grace
she contemplates on purpose
on life and death
lights in, lights out
sunrise, sunset
beginnings and endings
it all goes round in circles
in her head

but what about her heart
what about her dreams
what about her handy work
her undanced body
her untouched skin
her undisclosed secrets
her unwatered garden
her unwritten story
her unpainted masterpiece
her unmothered inner child
her unnurtured soul
what about her

will she ever learn to feed herself
before she breastfeeds the whole wide world
will she ever dare to ask for what she needs
before she offers what she lacks
will she ever forgive her own unmothered mother
before she mothers her daughters down the same path
will she ever surrender to whatever is
before she expects the world of herself
will she ever commit to synergy
before she succumbs to the hierarchy of dominance
will she ever rise out of her own ashes
before she burns out in the fire of her past
will she ever let go of all answers
before she comes undone
into the wisdom of her elders

she sits alone in her kitchen at night
but she is not in fact alone
she sits in a circle of women
women of yesterday
women of now
women of tomorrow
and she feels their pain
the pain of all womankind
she can feel it all
knowing it does not belong to her
she can see and release as she sees
releasing them all to peace.

this is her offering