Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Patricia at Reverie for Roundup.
Thanks to all who came out for the 8 Ways to Wake Up Your Poetry! webinar at Inked Voices. What fun!
Thanks also to Paine Elementary and Trussville Public Library for a lovely time yesterday. It's an honor to share about poetry and nonets!
Today's ArtSpeak: WOMEN features a piece from Judy Chicago's 1973 Legendary Women series. This one is titled "Marie Antoinette." Learn more about Judy Chicago's work here. Also, I did a bit of research on Marie and found a lot of good information here. I started out trying to write a short Golden Shovel using "Let them eat cake," but since that's probably myth that she even said those words, it seemed the wrong approach. I decided to dip into her childhood instead...and also added a pertinent detail from her execution (found here). Thanks so much for reading!
When You are the Fifteenth Child of an Empress
Mother doesn't always applaud
when you dance. Often
you are forgotten, left
alone. Independence is made
bearable if you have a sister
you adore. Nothing
can fill the holes inside you—
not silk, secrets, or cake.
All's fair in hate and terror. Still—
Do you want to be right,
or do you want peace?
You stamp on his foot
as you mount the guillotine.