What is a Woman?

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What is a woman?
A woman can talk
peace to men
consumed with hatred,
anger, and fear
whilst comforting little children
terrified by the shells, bombs,
and bullets of men at war.
What is a woman?
A woman can persuade men
to abandon arms,
turn swords into scythes,
and machetes into milk churns,
whilst nurturing children,
malnourished, sick,
and displaced by men at war.
What is a woman?
A woman has power
to prevent the arms race,
nurture planet Earth,
save rain forests,
respect all living creatures,
and teach every man
and child to do the same.
What is International Women’s Day?
A celebration of women
using their influence
overtly and covertly
in every country
across the globe
to change lives
and save us from ourselves.
Need more inspiration on International Women’s Day? The MockingOwl Roost is a woman-owned, women-led publication who’ve got plenty to share!
- Suffragette: The Long March Toward Votes for Women – Film Review
- Biographies and Memoirs of Amazing Women in History – Book Roundup
- Women Inspired – Women’s Inspiration
- A Cupcake for Women’s Day – a Poem
- 10 of the Best Novels by Women Authors – Book Roundup
- Sister Teacups – Inspiration
- “Dear Pastor Who Blamed Me for Being Abused” – Things I Wish I Had Said
- Thank You God, I’m Leaving Here – Writing Memories
- Unconventional Choices – Things I Wish I Had Said
- Behind the Mask – a Personal Essay
- Smiles – Protest Poetry
- When I Became a Modern Woman – Poetry
- Miranda, an Obscure TV Show for All the People Who Are “Too Much”
- All the Colors – Special Issue of the MockingOwl Roost

Susan Carberry
Susan lives in NW London. Her poems are an eclectic mix of social commentary, the natural world, the human condition, humour, and her deep faith in God, and they appear in several anthologies. She recently published her own poetry booklet, Eternal Ephemera. Susan is a Poet in Residence to the gardeners of Roundwood Park. She reads her work for events at the City Literature Institute, and has begun writing flash fiction and short stories. She’s a familiar figure in her local cafes and restaurants, where she sits with a coffee and writes, gaining inspiration from the world around her.
Susan has participated in several recorded readings with others. Find them on You-Tube as an Anthology and Late Line productions.