Lit eZine Vol 5 | p-6 | POETRY | Patriarchs Anonymous – Manic Sylph Writes… Poetry & Thoughts by Mona Soorma

SHORT POEM

PATRIARCHS ANONYMOUS
by Brigitte Goetze

A woman taking control of her world — *Image by* *stux*

I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul
Invictus by William Ernest Henley

I used to run 
my body like a business, I owned
my agency, controlled every cell:
CEO of my personal sweat 
shop, in charge of the daily affairs. 

But the fired, the not-hired, the watchdog-shareholders
agitated in nightly boardroom, where I was stark
naked and ignored. Even though I was a corporate
raider, coldly attempting
heartless slaughter.

Those interventions—really tough
love? By whom?—woke me, heart pounding. In denial 
about the serfdom of my body, I refused to see
the subjugation of my soul. In recovery now,
I am learning to share power, one day at a time.

Brigitte Goetze, a retired biologist and angora goat farmer, lives in Western Oregon where she divides her time between writing and fiber works. She finds inspiration for both endeavors in nature and the stories and patterns handed down from generation to generation. Eavesdropping on the never-ending conversations between the biological and the psychological, the scientific and metaphysical dimensions of life, she uses what she gleans to spin her own yarn. Her words have been published by Calyx, Oregon Humanities, in anthologies, and elsewhere.

Connect with Brigitte Goetze on her website