Women’s Voices

PROMPT:                                      There Comes a Time

There comes a time,

when the quiet whisperings of the heart

are no longer content

with their small, dark space.

And they begin to unfurl,

to grow … to stretch …

to reach out … …

until they burst their boundaries.

And the whispers become a howl,

a full-throated roar

that rattles the walls of the night

and shakes the foundations of the soul.

And touches the wild woman in us all.

And re-awakens the world.

PARTICIPATION:              As if No-One is Watching

What happens when women act, as if no-one is watching?

Speak their inner truths,

Share their dreams and nightmares,

Stand together through the night,

Send their souls soaring.

PERFORMANCE:               Speaking Poetry to Power

As women, we came together,

found connections, shared stories.

Spun ideas into webs of meaning,

feelings into movement and magic.

We crafted images and scenes,

woven with light, pulsing with colour.

We pushed at boundaries

and burst through barriers,

opened dark places

and crossed fragile spaces.

We opened up a can of worms,

fed them chocolate, blood and tears.

We probed at many tender patches,

touched deep wounds with care.

We bent and swayed,

but did not break.

Fell again and again,

yet stood taller each time.

We set the world spinning

with hoops of wild joy.

Our laughter rattled the walls

and cartwheeled the floor.

We celebrated our sex and bodies,

found our voices and our power.

We supported each other to fly,

soaring high with a Velvet touch,

Sky dancers, star gazers.

As if no-one was watching,

but they were ….

Performance video: https://vimeo.com/400514924/221f68b0db.

Published 2021 by Rabbit Non-Fiction Poetry Journal: Edition 32 Form, pp 32-36

Acknowledgements:

‘As If No-one Is Watching’ was a multi-media, live performance from a diverse group of women, aged 20 to 70, that explored women’s voices – from intimate insights to public declarations – in ways that were multi-layered, multi-tongued, complex and disparate.

These poems are dedicated, with gratitude, to these women who shared friendship, openness and inclusivity as they collaborated and performed together. All courageous performers are listed at the end of the video.

Directed by Celia White of Vulcana Circus https://www.vulcana.org.au/ and Wendy McPhee of WaW Dance, in collaboration with Digital Makers and Sleepy Mountain Films. Video editing Paris Owen. Singer Velvet Pesu.