Sacred Mothers: Among Us

This poem was created at the June 2018 Sacred Mothers Retreat. Every woman at the retreat helped write this, but the talented Annette Benedetti complied it and made it the magical poem it is.

Sacred Mothers: Among Us
By Sacred Mother’s Tribe (edited by Annette Benedetti)

When Women Gather (In Seven Parts)

1. Before

Birth
I felt fear, surrender, gratitude, and
helplessness.

Am I enough for her?

She is a ferocious spirit
A force to be reckoned with
A warrior of Justice

She is all the stars and the moon
she is the light in complete darkness
she endures the chaos and embraces the
storm.

2. Stories

My soul knows.

When it comes down to it
love is the only thing that matters.

Love is the only thing…

I am

Angry I didn’t receive the love
to flourish grow and
to love and parent my child in the way
I envisioned.

There is nothing better than to be
truly seen
and accepted.

3 Transform

I am deserving of
creating the life my soul wants to live.
I want to
Let go of the dark
so I can bathe in the light.

And

the light in me
wants to see the light in you
but also wants to be perceptive
to the darkness.

Because
sharing the darkness is
what makes friendships beautiful.

4. Darkness

Do I show mine?
Probably not.
Then how can it be expected
in return?

How do you show the darkness
without feeling
like a burden?

I deserve the brunt
of all of the pain

so others do not hurt. Man…
responsibility cascades like a motherfucker.

5. Feelings

And what is it they say?

when it comes to feelings
isn’t it better to release them as you feel them?

Like a pipe in winter
allow the water to drip
so it doesn’t build up and explode

I am afraid
that without feelings of sorrow
loss and pain
those I love will suffer.

I worry again and again

Is she safe? 
Is she saved?
Has she saved herself?

Besides

What does it mean to be enough?
Is enough ever satisfied?
Am I enough for myself?
For my husband?
For my children?

And then,

When I feel love and joy
I feel those deeply too
When I feel those feelings
I sometimes wonder with worry,
When will this end?

Most good things do end.

6. Tribe

When women gather, magic happens.
We hold each other.

They remind me

You’re not lost
It’s part of the journey.
You’re right where you are supposed to be.

Hurt can help you learn and embrace change
Hurt can lead to healing.

See what you can do
not what you can’t.

But still.

I am cautious about showing my full self
for fear…
Of what?

My feeling dictate to me
what I bring to a friendship
what I have the ability to give.

Who would I be without my feelings?

7. Ceremony

We sit in the dark and they hold me
I hold them. 
at once we look at each other
and smile.

There is light Among us.