A Woman Takes Up Her Calling
Whoso beset her* round
with dismal stories,
do but themselves confound—
her* strength the more is.
(John
Bunyan, “He Who Would Valiant Be”, Verse 2)
Circled by her saboteurs,
Mocked by the Accuser,
Hobbled by provocateurs,
And labeled as a Loser –
Trying to focus on her goal,
Shutting out their prattle,
Stands the lone creative soul
In solitary battle.
She hoists up a bipartite freight:
The heft of her vocation
Added to the ballast weight
Of adverse cerebration.
“Summon all your strength!“ I say,
“The thing’s within your reach!
Stand up tall, prepare to slay
By action or by speech.”
And now she rises to full height,
And now she flies away.
And now puts enemies to flight,
Now merges work with play.
To see a woman thwarted makes me furious.
To see her at full strength -- a thing most glorious!
©2022
– Paul Erlandson
*It is of course “him” and “his” in
Bunyan’s original -- PE
