Before Feminism
Mag 49
Photograph courtesy of Tess Kincaid, Magpie Tales
Before Suffragettes
Chained to fences
Before Emmeline Pankhurst
Saw jail three times
Before Emily Davison
Died under a horse
Before Margaret Mitchell
Wrote Gone with the Wind
Before women gained
Their right to vote
Before miniscule minis
Showed everything off
Before Germaine Greer
Said burn your bra
Before wonderful Woodstock
Spawned free love
Before Erica Jong
Wrote you-know-what
Before Linda Lovelace
Shocked us all
Before the seventies
Flower power era
Before animal rights
Made us feel guilty
Ladies in furs
Wrapped for the weather
In bonnets and muffs
Took untold delight
In spending their time
Skating on ice
With what seemed
Not a care in the world
But
Before you judge
Their frivolous pastime
Give a thought
To their past
And their legacy
Barbara M Lake
January 2011, Trinidad WI
Beautiful Bee! Love how you went through the eras!
ReplyDeleteNice. Can you imagine skating in those heavy skirts? In 1895 the bustle went away and culottes were considered acceptable and women could sit astride a horse.
ReplyDeleteLove this piece, how you worked your way through highlights and all the so called progress of time. Well some is, but some, was it really progress. I kind of like the legacies they left.
ReplyDeleteBee,
ReplyDeleteWell done lady.
Thanks for the stroll down memory's lane.
rel
To the women before us, brava and thank-you.
ReplyDeleteNice homage, Bee.
spot on Bee! Great tribute!
ReplyDeleteI am woman hear me roar!!! I love this Bee!!!
ReplyDelete:-)
WOW...that is really great. Excellent. I am impressed. :)
ReplyDeletexo
This is really wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. They didn't have all the knowledge and freedoms...good and bad...that we have now. Love their stylish garb and they seem to be having such a grand time : )
ReplyDeleteThis is perfect in every way ......
ReplyDeletebeautiful! i just love this piece, the history adds an incredible depth, full of lessons to learn and/or remember.
ReplyDeleteWhere would we be without the women?! :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder how these three felt about women's rights? Wouldn't you like to sit down to dinner with them? Nice piece, B.
ReplyDeleteI'm late with my thanks to you all. When I saw the picture, I was initially at a loss, then lots of ideas and then nothing. This was the result!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you liked it - all your comments gave me food for thought. I was very aware of the hardship that many faced - not all of course were born into genteel families. And before that particular era there were many hard working and brave women (such as the fictional Melanie Wilkes) who were the backbone of building the society of that time. ( I must admit though I found her a pain at times - not for her patriotism but for her unrealistic won't-have-a-bad-word-said about anyone, especially Scarlett).
Yes I would have loved to sit down to dinner with them - I think the conversation would have been very enlightening to say the least.
thank you everyone for taking the time to call in and post. Much appreciated.
Oh I do like this. Not just the meaning, but the sense of rhythm that carries you along as you read it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Alan - glad you caught the rhythm - that's exactly what I attempted to do.
ReplyDelete