Her Light Burns Brightly

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Strong, resilient, like no other
Fighter, defender, lover, mother,
Teacher, leader, inspiration,
Backbone of a generation.
Of a kind, yet individual,
Shrugging off the chains residual
That remain from eons past,
Smashing ceilings made of glass.
She honours mothers, sisters, aunts,
Who fought to give her every chance
To vote, to lead, to work, to win,
To overcome history’s sins.
Her light burns brightly: in her wake
Are those she has inspired to take
The future into their own hands,
On their own terms, not those of man.

©2017 Joanne Van Leerdam

Her Light Shines Brightly
#WomensHistoryMonth #womenshistory

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‘Her Light Shines Brightly’ is one of the poems about women and their experiences collected in Stained Glass by Joanne Van Leerdam

Farewell, My Friend.

Image: MoiraKarem via Pixabay

For you, no more waiting for heaven,
And no more praying for peace:
Your fight is over, your work is done, 
You have found your eternal release.

I wasn’t ready for you to leave—
But I never would have been,
So I remain here, without you,
In this miserable in-between.

My heart is broken, my words are gone,
I have cried a million tears, 
And the hurt cascades inside me
Each time I realise you’re not here.

We made a lifetime of memories, 
Full of family, friendship and song, 
And I know it was just a rehearsal
For where you are now, all along.

But this feels nothing like heaven:
I so miss your warmth and your smile,
The music you brought to every day,
The way you made each day worthwhile.

I will always love you and miss you, 
And life will never be the same, 
I will cherish your memory forever
And always smile when I speak your name. 

©2020 Joanne Van Leerdam

Old Man.

Image: Joanne Van Leerdam 2020

Vigour has yielded to frailty,
Pain tarnishes every day,
He longs to be free of his misery – 
Oh! If one could wish suffering away!

He despises his aged condition:
When he stands, his body is bent;
He cannot escape his suspicion
That the best of his days have been spent.

His voice has grown soft and he mumbles,
It’s harder to focus his mind,
He is more prone now to grumble – 
His good humour has slowly declined.

His children observe the difference – 
They lament the toll of the years;
What he prays for as deliverance
Will, for them, mean sorrow and tears.

For now, he sits in his armchair,
Dozing off whenever he can: 
Precious little brings any pleasure 
For the tired and broken old man.

Then, in an instant, he leaves them – 
No more misery, no tears, no night:
He casts off his pain, finds his wings, 
Becomes an angel and takes flight. 

ⓒ 2018 Joanne Van Leerdam 

Old Man: A Poetic Tribute To My Dad.
#Memorials #Fathers #Poetuit #poetrylovers #blogpost

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Her Light Burns Brightly

In honour of International Women’s Day, This poem pays tribute to all the women in history who paved the way for women today to enjoy the freedoms and rights that we do.

Image of Millicent Fawcett by dimitrisvetsikas1969 on Pixabay

Her Light Burns Brightly

Strong, resilient, like no other
Fighter, defender, lover, mother,
Teacher, leader, inspiration,
Backbone of a generation.
Of a kind, yet individual,
Shrugging off the chains residual
That remain from eons past,
Smashing ceilings made of glass.
She honours mothers, sisters, aunts,
Who fought to give her every chance
To vote, to lead, to work, to win,
To overcome history’s sins.
Her light burns brightly: in her wake
Are those she has inspired to take
The future into their own hands,
On their own terms, not those of man.

ⓒ2016 Joanne Van Leerdam

In celebration of all women on International Women’s Day: Her Light Burns Brightly by @jvlpoet
#poetry #poetrylovers #InternationalWomensDay #WomensHistory

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This poem appears in the collection titled ‘Stained Glass’, dedicated to the strength and resilience of women.