Manning: 'The Feminine Magic That is Us,' a Poem Honoring Women's History Month
The Feminine Magic That is Us
We dance in shawls of resilience,
We build nations, with our love
Steadily unearthing our power,
And the feminine magic that is us
Our progression of womanhood
Comes, often, through trial and oversight,
As we sometimes, dance and glide gracefully,
At other times, stumbling wildly in spotlight
We endure and we overcome,
Stages of passion and heartache,
Forgiving ourselves, still honoring ourselves,
With enduring, persistent love
From the women of creation stories,
From ancestors, mothers, and grandmothers
From the tender prayers of sisters,
And from the strength within their songs
We learn from the many spirited women around us,
Every single one
We unearth to power of womanhood
Through the stories of survivors,
Of victors, and resilient fighters,
Harvesting inspiration from each story spun
Woven into the womanhood tales of triumph
We draw strength from courage stories
And everlasting feminine love
From every story and every dance
From every well examined lesson
As generations of women connected,
Enduring strength is what we dress in
By virtue of our femininity
And the generational strength within our bones
We carry medicine in our fingertips,
Tenderness and healing is in our touch
We dance in shawls of resilience
We build nations with our love
Steadily unearthing our power,
And the feminine magic that is us
Sarah Sunshine Manning
Sarah Sunshine Manning (Shoshone-Paiute, Chippewa-Cree) is a mother, educator, activist, and an advocate for youth. Follow her at @SarahSunshineM.
