A Strong Woman

After Marge Piercy's For Strong Women

A strong woman is multilingual. She
speaks the King's English to board members
coos to the awakening child on her breast
blasts a resounding "fuck" to the broken microwave
sings a song of sixpence
chants while holding her picket sign
negotiates a twenty percent discount.

A strong woman is weak in righteousness
unless it pertains to her
child family friends community city state region nation continent world universe.

A strong woman is a woman who
talks of slitting her throat
jumping from the cliff
downing the bottle of tiny pills
as she sets the alarm clock.

A strong woman knows not to believe the tales
about strong women.

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