winning contest entry for To All the Women contest
first place winner
A Girl, A Stream, A Weeping Willow
There's a stream, and a weeping willow
And it weeps, and weeps, and weeps.
It bends its branches to the water
So its tears cannot be seen.
And beside that stream sits a girl.
In silence she weeps
And the sound of the stream
Covers her tears
And the stooping branches
Hide her fears.
Not lightly does this girl weep,
This girl who is always strong,
Who always consoles,
She weeps when she can hold it in no longer.
Now, she weeps.
This is her place, where she can be weak,
Where she can be just a girl,
Not a woman, a home-maker,
A career girl, anything and everything.
Here she can be just herself,
And here she can weep with the willow.
She could, at home
- Of course! -
But she doesn't.
She saves it for here
Where she's alone
And the stream hides the sound of her sobs.
There's a stream, and a weeping willow
And beside that stream sits a girl
And soon she'll go back
And be strong once again.
But, for now,
She weeps.
And that's okay.
