The contemporary and complex maze of generational ways have provided us
undeniable intuition
We are mothers of others and lovers of brothers beyond the diaspora
We are in your urban watchtowers ever mindful of the safety of our young
The village did not dissipate with the rise of technology
Long before the iphone we had neighbors, very conscious of our children
playing safely
Prior to Facebook we gathered in salons and discussed the order of the day
We were simply built that way
Before the emergence of therapy sessions
We sat in sister circles and asked guidance from our foremothers
Please over stand there was a system in place
Women with grace and inexplicable intelligence
Long before I saw my first physician
My grandmother went to her garden to keep us well
As children Mother warned us against candy, fast food and soda
As adults she reminded us why our teeth were nice
Wisdom is a beautiful thing and must be offered with loving intent
So that is received as such
Mothers wear many hats, they are peacemakers and providers
They are the original Wonder Women from organic and aboriginal tribes
The influential significance is world wide
So here I stand with pride
From: Uptown Déjà Vu
Summary
“Wonder of Woman” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on love and relationships, family, identity. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
Analysis
Voice
A personal, first-person speaker combines recollection with direct emotional address.
Style and form
The poem is line-driven, first-person. The poem moves by accumulation: images, references, and tonal turns build on one another, so meaning emerges from their relationships as much as from narrative sequence.
Themes and imagery
Its strongest thematic currents include love and relationships, family, identity. Concrete images give those abstractions physical weight, while changes in diction and pace keep the poem from settling into a single emotional register.
Reading the poem
A productive way to read “Wonder of Woman” is to watch how its images change function as the poem progresses. Details that initially establish scene or memory become emotional evidence. The result is a poem whose argument is carried through association, rhythm, and image as much as through explicit statement.
Explore this poem
Source & rights
Source: Uptown Déjà Vu
Rights: Copyright controlled by the rights holder. Published here with permission.