Best Glass Ceiling Poems
I was born in Green Valley, west of Liverpool, west of Sydney, Australia.
It's like being born in the Bronx, or Tottenham, or Shankhill, or Govan in Glasgow.
I might as well have been born there too.
Where those of Green Valley's DNA
Kiss the ground with a bent neck, and are proud to do so
When they look up, their face smears on the glass ceiling
But they can't feel it.
The only escape is a poor paying job
So they keep saying.
There is no door with a happy label on it,
Or a sign that says "this way to an improved life".
So here I am in Scotland.
I went through the unnamed door
I think it was called "risk".
It broke the glass ceiling.
The Glass Ceiling
“Woe there sister, where do you think you're going?
Turn around, go back, stop, cease, desist!
Nothing for you above my see-through barrier.
Yes, yes, I know you can see them up there.
They are welcome up above.
Why?
Well, because they have an outie and not an innie.
They have their ice cream with nuts and you don't.
They are the plug, not the outlet.
Only snakes and snails and puppydog tails.
Keep out all of the sugar and spice and everything nice.
Blue is better than pink,
Mars vs. Venus…. Bla,bla,bla.
Oh-ho! That's rich!
Don't make me laugh, YOU BONE THIEF! YOU RIB STEALER!
We ALL know you can do the exact same work, as good or better than them.
What's your point?
And don't make it too sharp, huh?…we wouldn't want to crack the glass.
What you need is a good dose of Saint Paul, girlie.
Saul or Paul, sure had some gaul!
Ha! Oh man, I crack myself up!
We'll, not literally because…well.
Now, Sing it with me!
…”anything you can do, I can do better! I can do anything better than you!”
No. wait! nevermind! Forget I said that…
Hey, hey!? what are you doing?!
No! Girls aren't allowed here!
…Stop that singing!
Soprano is my Kryptonite!”
…Walking on, walking on, broken glass…
”
Glass Ceiling
Crouched here in the corner of the ceiling
watching myself – fighting to endure –
I stifle tears, for I am but his essence
growing dimmer as his color pales.
He struggles to make sense of life – in death.
Whereas I struggled to make sense of death – in life.
I watched him weep at the passing of others
who would not find time for him.
I tried to touch him, to reach him,
to let him know that we were not alone,
that we had each other. I think he felt it – once-
then pulled away with a shiver.
He – We – were so much more than memory,
so much more than tissue, and sinew, and pain.
We Were, dammit! Even now, as he struggles
to decide our fate we still – Are.
None but me have know the all of him,
his deepest fear, the enormity of his love,
his loneliness amid the crowds,
his presence among the lonely.
I have always been there for him – in spirit,
had his back, echoed his spiritual song,
directed his eyes toward the sunrise
of a troubling night’s trepidation.
We were the best of what we are
so I am saddened. Not by his imminent death,
but by the inevitable separation of
the animator from the animation.
10/12/2016
submitted to – Personification – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Lewis Raynes
BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING
Deborah,God annointed Judge&Prophetess
a matriarch,overseer of men,..no less;
Mary,at Jesus feet,studied...just as a man
in Christ there is no gender ban
Forbears,Edie,Kate and Ann furnished apiece with brush and pan.Each
Victorian 'Miss' tied in service's abyss.Far off days,now long gone,their toil each
day was lengthy and long.With fires to light,floors to scrub,and carpets to brush
and drub.Mops forbidden,as they smeared the dirt and begrimed their prim
alpaca aproned skirt.They cleaned 'his' tub,emptied 'her' commode,a regular
chore in a housemaid's daily load.Must rise at six but never to mix and no matter
what,keep a stiff upper lip.Never lose your cool,a formal curtsey the perpetual
rule.Half day off once per month,so free to roam and catch the omnibus home.No
other opportunities in store except a marriage at eighteen or before.Upstairs and
down stairs ,no in between,starting out at just thirteen and just there to please as Master and his Lady take their ease.
Ladies! Ladies!Ladies!!!
focus on your career
not on the barriers......
always pare yourself; to be the best version.....
all the time better than yesterday;
be greedy for your ambition.
Gambol with your passion.....
Why be in a glass slipper.....
unless you can break a glass ceiling; promise yourself that you will not Brittle.
Keep your aim higher.....
be the best fighter.
Proliferate your energy;
let your dreams fly......
give them wings to fly more and more high.
Who can tell you ....who you should be......
don't let anyone or any situation dictate to who you are.....who you can be.....
fight for your dreams;
Coz no one is going to do this for you.
Your path is just your own.....
it belongs to no one.....
don't compromise with your values, your believes and your virtues.
You will fail, but don't stop at that.
After the failure stand up and Assailant;
coz you have the power, which can stop the shower of Cascade.
Resuscitate your heart and Invert.
Show your mettle; show your stalwart side......
no matter what you do..... Someone will always be unhappy with you.
You can never please everyone all the time.
The biggest favour that you will all do to yourselves will be laugh at yourselves, at situation;
this funny thing is called life.
Find the moment to appreciate yourself every single day.
Don't take yourself too seriously......
calm down, have fun, just enjoy your every day;
the moment you have now.
Bestow the moment to yourself which is wow.
See your good times..... meanwhile bad times, hardship, pain, laughter, sadness......
coz that all make you who you are.....
In some aspect of life women are used to bully......
but only the thing you need to wear your confidence.
Don't restrict yourself in one thing ever.....
you have a myriad dream that you have to make it true.
Mary and Angelica ,ladies of great renown
Painters extraordinaire in Ol' London town
Both founding members of the R & A
Still life,portraits & history on a grand scale-
Left out of a group painting because they were not male !
Mary Moser & Angelica Kauftmann help to found the R & A but were left out of the 1770's
painting of Academicians .There wer to be no other women members until 1922.
Lee bridged the race divide
when prejudice had nowhere to hide-
Riding a mustang in the sky
His deeds gave bigotry the lie,
sterotyping his,to defy.
Tribute to Lt-Colonel Lee Archer (1919-2010) WW2 fighter pilot and VP of General Foods who
died this past week
A great artist was Sofonisba
Due to her her enlightened pa-
A court painter to a king
Throughout Europe her fame did wing-
So now her praise to you I sing
Tribute to Sonfoniba Anguissda 1532-1625 an acquaintance of Michelangelo and Vn Dyck
http://www-english.tamu.edu/pers/fac/Phillippy/_women_artists/anguissola/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofonisba_Anguissola
old tracks
to
the water edge
a
thatched cottage
a river a harbour a boat
with
woman&child
a beach a village a park
'neath lilac
on the terrace
hanging out the
laundry
in a wheatfield
on a
summer day
family
in a rose garden
on a beach
playing
orange trees
nice young women
on a
veranda
hollyhocks
willows
daffodils
&daisies
& Myself
a red blouse
a red apron
getting up getting out of bed
the bath
arranging hair
before the mirror
autumn colours
bois de bologne
daughter julie
in conversation
picking cherries
boating on the lake
at the window
with
the greyhound
p!aying violin
day dreaming
NOTE:created from a selection of 240 Berthe's titles whose paintings are a chrono bio album
Social evolution invented down the line
selective and complex, customs skewed,
placing men in the lead, women behind,
for they are deemed the weaker gender,
born unequal in the nonpartisan world
under blue sky of freedom made for all,
to obey silently all the time, subjugated.
As the dark clouds of imposed illiteracy
and obdurate poverty drift slowly away,
the aspiration sun shines equally above
with rainbow hued dreams for humanity,
and as the archaic social norms discarded
crumble in the egalitarian cauldron of time,
women see the light of liberation flicker
at the end of the ancient tunnel dark.
It’s time for the tenets of human right
to redesign now the social fabric frayed.
Let not the gender divide asymmetrically
the open opportunities and obligations.
Let the women’s captive essence becomes
free to reach the heights where men are,
consciously ripping the glass ceiling contrived.
June 28, 2021
Contest : Let Er Rip #3
Sponsor : John Lawless
A woman in a man's world was Artemiia Gentileschi
broke the glass ceiling to be free
She much to her famous pa did owe
but in her day ploughed her own furrow
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_Gentileschi
WOMEN OF AUTHORITY
Women of the world may
lead,teach and oversee.
Deborah a leader upon God’s
call and Miriam & Esther ,
females to name but three.
In later times these four
as well,Anna,Phoebe,Priscilla
& Junia and many more;
freed by Jesus’ law.In Him
we see neither Greek nor Gentile
male or female or the unfree.
Inspired by Gal 2:28 and Gen 2:18
Thanks to everyone
Who made me realize that
I alone am master of my destiny
Who showed me strength, gentleness
And the power of determination
Who challenged me to reach beyond
For all the treasures of within
Who taught me life is a playground and
Living means a thirst to experiment
Thank you for having enriched my life
Each in your own unique ways
AP: Honorable Mention 2022
Posted on November 16, 2017
In the course of social evolution,
selective and complex, skewed customs
placed men in the lead, women behind,
for they are deemed the weaker gender,
born unequal in the nonpartisan world
under blue sky of freedom for everyone,
to obey and to follow, subjugated.
As the dark clouds of imposed illiteracy
and obdurate poverty drift slowly away,
the sun of aspiration shines equally
with dreams for everybody,
and as the archaic social norms
crumble in the egalitarian cauldron,
women see the light of emancipation
at the end of the ancient tunnel.
It’s time for the tenets of human right
to redesign the frayed social fabric.
Let not gender divide unevenly
the opportunities and obligations.
The captive womenhood would then
be free to reach where men are,
breaking the contrived glass ceiling.
Written : February 10, 2020
March 9, 2020
Contest : Strand Choice A, Any Form, Any Theme
Sponsor : Brian Strand