inspired by Sue Monk Kidd’s
Dance of the Dissident Daughter
When Tereus rapes her
he cuts out Philomela’s tongue
to silence her voice
and locks her in a tower
To silence her voice
patriarchy devalues the feminine
for fear she’ll tell the truth
and rend from men their power
For fear she’ll tell the truth
a woman silences her own creative voice
to gain love, validation, esteem
and over and over again
To gain love, validation, esteem
she sells her sexual soul
for this above all else
is the value of women to men
For this above all else
is the reason we must weave
our angers, truths and visions
into poetic tapestries, our stories
Our angers, truths and visions
must be shared with sisters, daughters
brothers and fathers too, must see
our triumphs and our glories
Brothers and fathers, too, must see
that a woman’s life depends upon
the tapestries she weaves
with her voice, despite fear of rejection
The tapestries she weaves
tell Philomela’s story to her sister
when Tereus rapes her
Finding her voice is her salvation
© 2005