This week’s poem is dedicated to women, past present and future.

Naomi

This is my promise to you,
believe it – and it comes true:

We can close our eyes and feel our beauty,
our spirit and body at peace, secure,
confident of our worth and our value,
proud in maturity,
safe in self love.

We’ll celebrate our natural image
feel no need to add or subtract.
Let’s eat food we love without shame,
We prepare it, we earn it;
enjoy!

We’ll love breasts and thighs, our hard and soft bits,
we’ll exercise ‘cause it’s good to be strong.
Dance when we wish without counting
the wrinkles, grey hairs that we gain.

Together we’ll smile at old judgments,
make fashion a personal choice.
We’ll allow models and magazines ads
to reflect the real perfections we have.

We’ll share love that is tender, and natural,
passion that’s happy and safe,
our birthright is fun and pure pleasure,
and everyone gains from our choice.

We’ll forget lies that once were sold to us,
Escape dreams of endless bland youth;
We don’t fear what the years take or give us,
We’ll grow older,
and lovely,
instead.

Dhaka 2014