Of Male Autocracy

[MichaelFirewalker]

* this poem discusses ingrained, cultural
male dominance, and is NOT directed at
any individual persons!


too much
has there been
of take and rape by men
of the pleasure that is woman

here is fire

it burns with righteous rage
at this unbless

for this injustice
by the strong
against the weak
it seeks redress

O thou self-elevated
narcissistic men
so lofty and so high
go ahead deny

stay warm and comforted
protected by the gain you get
from marketable philosophies
designed by male ministers
and male priests of your religions

you good old boys rejoice
in the fineness of yourselves
while you cultivate
your bounties of pernicious
indifference to womankind

we are created woman
and we grieve
that all we know of you
is tightly lidded arrogance
instead of nurture

you are too little truth
without humility of wombs
that open and receive

you decieved us by removing
woman from your pantheon
the one you forced her to kneel on

now there is no rightness
left which you can rest upon

for you applauded yourselves
becoming tyrants and debauched

we who lie beneath you
decry you as we ought

you are no gods

here we are below
where all we know
is no god comes
to heal our wounds
that men have done

[Ken_Nye]

Michael, this was very thought-provoking. The question occurred to me while I was reading this: What would the condition and status of women be in the world if the reproductive apparatus of man and woman were reversed, if women were the ones on top (usually) and men were on the bottom? Does it all boil down simply to biological design? That the phallus is the key to power? Would there be rapes if wowen were equipped as men and vice versa? Would womankind be as "perniciously indifferent" to men?

You prefaced this poem with the assurance that it is directed at no particular man. That didn't make me feel much better. But you certainly have made me think.

Ken

[MichaelFirewalker]

hello dear Ken----those are excellent questions, and I have wondered about them too----your points are valid ones----it seems to me that whoever has the children, and therefore the hormonal/anatomical apparatus that allows for that, would be in an inferior position, regarding physical strength and aggressiveness, to whoever had greater physical strength, aggressiveness, and freedom, because the child bearing person would be subject to powerful, hormonally induced nurturing instincts and energy/time constraints that the other, non-child bearing partner would not have to deal with, and so could dominate and control the weaker, preoccupied one, who is desparately needing care and protection by the stronger, freer partner...

testosterone induces aggression, big-time----no doubt about that at all----without testosterone, there is far less violence, but also without it, no babies, because no wiggly swimmers----the pregnancy/lactation hormone, prolactin, produces passiveness and gentleness of manner in women, to allow for gentleness in child care, and in the nursing of babies...

so you are right, dear Ken, we are programmed for all of this, and there is no help for it---but there is a great deal of help in understanding what's happening, because of the enormous power differential between men and women, which is too often badly handled by both parties...

as to the pernicious indifference, we know that many young men balk under the yoke of family responsibility, and decide to eat their cake and have it too, without caring for the women they use----lots of statistics on that, I'm afraid----so around and around we go, and where we'll stop, only God knows...

by and large, most women are child-centered first, and career-centered second----and most men are centered on their careers first and their families second----men have built the world----men own it----women, by and large, have come along for the ride----the power discrepancies are serious ones...

in the age we are entering, all of that is supposed to be changed, and re-balanced toward equality----of course, that is going to require the complete destruction of the world system as we know it today, most likely through global catastrophes of various kinds...

so, I guess we just have to wait to see what happens next time around----meanwhile, it is useful to speak the truth, as poetically as one can, into the proverbial ethers, and to discuss all these kinds of matters together

in grace and peace,
your friend michael

[Ken_Nye]

Wonderful response, Michael. I thnik you nailed each point I raised.

Ken

[MichaelFirewalker]

I greatly appreciate your saying that, Ken...

michael

[Jo Lynn Ehnes]

I like that Michael. Speaks much truth as in all your writing. Missed you but I got all moved so hopefully can get back in sync

[MichaelFirewalker]

hello JL!----have missed you too, but glad to hear you're all moved in----BIG job, that!----pm me and tell me about your new digs?

also glad you like the poem,
michael