Women Hold Up Half the Sky: A Poetry Jam

In celebration of International Women's Day, Rising Voices grantee and Nari Jibon founder, Kathryn Ward, came up with the idea of a friendly poetry competition among Rising Voices bloggers. Participants of the ten citizen media outreach projects were given a week to write and submit their poems related to the theme “women hold up half the sky.”

Ten poems were submitted from Colombia, Bangladesh, and Madagascar. Of those ten, the following three featured poems were selected by Dr. Ward and her poet friend to be featured in commemoration of women around the world.

“Paceñita / Cristina Quisbert

Priority

by Sufia-734 of Nari Jibon

(Originally written in Bangla – Translated by Kazi Rafiqul Islam)

Time has come now
To stand for that we need
Not equality, but priority.
Upright
We want to open our heart
Express our mind
For that we need
Not equality, but priority.
Fathers can be cruel even
Mothers cannot.
Mothers can sacrifice
Fathers cannot.
That is what women are
We can do everything.
Combating with sorrow
Win happiness.
No more shall we endure injustice
No more shall we remain within the four walls.
Time has come to open ears and eyes
To protest against unfair deeds.
For that we need
Not equality, but priority.

construction nari 9 baridharacc.jpg

Women road repair crew, Kathryn Ward, Dhaka, 2004.

by Poupoune of FOKO from Toamasina, Madagascar.

NY VEHIVAVY  Vatolampy fehozoro ny nehivavy, ka zava poana raha tsy misy azy
Eny fa ny fo fanfahy dia atolony avokoa,ary miaraka @ dia ho tody ny soa
Herin'ny tokan-trano anie izy hatramin'izay, koa dera sy laza no atolotray Indro anefa ireo zava bitany, hojoro ho mandrakizay, ka tsy ho toy ny rozy malazo ho dinganinay Vola sy harena tsy misy raha jerena, fa raha lavitra anao dia ssento sisa atao Anaovana hery setra sy verin-jo tanteraka, anefa dia mitalaho any @ Voninkazo midoroboka mamirapiratra tahaka riva,   Koa masoandro mamiratra tokoa anie isika, Izay mitondra fahasambarana sy fifaliana,  Hoan'ireo rehetra maminitsika

Women are Building rocks
without them there is only void
They give with heart and soul
and with them good things are in reach
They are the strength of the home
We offer women glory and praise
Their accomplishments will stand forever
Unlike wilting roses we step over
Wealth and money we cannot see
Away from them sighs engulf me
Violated they are and rights are stripped from them
But they complain underneath
Flowers blooming and gleaming in evenings.May we be shining suns
Bringing joy and happiness
To those we cherish and love.

THE WOMAN BEING

Poem by: Camila Urrea Morales (Colombia)

Translated by: Carolina Vélez López of HiperBarrio.

EL SER MUJER
En un principio, aún incierto, apareció la mujer, un ser creado fibra a fibra de azúcar, adornado con tanto hilos dorados como sentimientos, un ser que se derrite con cada palabra que infunde fuego en ella, y que se enfría, levantando la pared más fuerte, con aquellas que llegan como témpano ante ella. Luego, aparece aquella cubierta que es más que piel, una cubierta conductora de emociones, de latidos, de vibraciones. Y apareció la mujer, y con ella la dulzura de las cosas hechas con la delicadeza que nada más se encuentra en ese ser.

In a beginning, uncertain yet, appeared the woman, a being created fibre by fibre of sugar, adorned with so many golden threads as emotions, a being that melts down with every word that infuses fire in her, and that freezes, raising the strongest wall, with those that arrive like icebergs upon her. Then, that cover appears, it's more than just skin, it's a conductor of emotions, of beatings, of vibrations. And the woman appeared, and with her the sweetness of the things made with the delicacy that can only be found in that being.

Finally, in a class all its own, a coordinator of the FOKO project in Madagascar, who prefers to go by the pseudonym SipakV, submitted this poem in Malagasy and English.

“Lehilahy iza no ho tamana amin'izao”
-Tsia ange fa izy no te handeha -Ka tsy handeha ve izy Vehivavy nilaozambady ianao Manala baraka anay Manala baraka fianakaviana Jereo ity volonao Jereo ity tarehy Jereo ity sakafo  Jereo ity trano mikorontana Lehilahy iza no ho tamana amin'izao -Koa mba efa niezaka ao re Ny volo notapahina, natao plaquage Ny tarehy nohosorana diloilo manitra Ny sakafo niezahana hatsiro isan'andro Ny trano ampirimina Kanefa ange Ikoto sy Ikala Mitaky fitiavana sy fikarakarana Ny sakafo adino eo ambony fatana Ny trano voakorontana Angaha misy hitany akory Izy anie ka mody alina Mamom-behivavy hafa sy toaka Domelin'ny hatezerana Fa ratsy hono ny fiainanay Ratsy taiza hono ny ankizy Ratsy tarehy hono ny vadiny Vehivavy hafa hono no tadiaviny Koa dia ny fahareseny no vonoiny Vonoiny amin'ny tavako sy ny vatako Vonoiny isan-kariva fa tsy mety voafafany Tamin'ny farany teo efa tonga ny fokonolona Dia nohafatrafarana aho hoe Vehivavy ka mihareta Mihareta hatramin'ny farany Fiharetana eto an-tany Hatramin'ny nikororosian'ny lanitra eo ambony Tonga teo ingahy mompera nilaza hoe Tsarovy Victoire Rasoamanarivo Fa tsy fahasambarana any ankoatra anie no tadiaviko Fa mba kosa filaminana ho an'Ikoto sy Ikala Tonga ianao androany ry Neny ka hoe Efa izy no anjara Fa vono olona ve no fetra Ary fanagejana no lahatra satria ho aiza moa Fa izaho dia vehivavy tsy miasa? Ka dia aleo re ry mama… - Jereo ity volonao Jereo ity tarehy Jereo ity sakafo  Jereo ity trano mikorontana Lehilahy iza no ho tamana amin'izao…

“What man would stay ?”
– No, but he is the one who left
– Wouldn't he leave
You are an abandoned woman
Shaming us
Shaming our family
Look at your hair
Look at your face
Look at your cooking
Look at your unkept house
What man would stay ?
– I did my best
I cut my hair, straightened it
I put perfumed cream on my face
I tried my best cooking every day
I straightened the house
but Ikoto and Ikala
Wanted love and care
He did not even notice
He came home late every night
Drunk on women and alcohol
Dumb with rage
Because our life sucks
Our kids misbehave
His wife is ugly
And he wants to beat up his loss
Erase it on my face and body
Erase it every night with no luck
Last time the neighborhood committee came
And gave me advice
You are a woman
Resign yourself
Tough it out until the end
When the sky comes crashing down on you
And the Reverend Father came by
Remember Victoire Rasoamanarivo he said
But I am not looking for happiness in the next world
But peace for Ikoto and Ikala is what I seek
You came today mother and said
he is my lot
Violence my destiny
Prison my fate
because where am I to go
Jobless woman
So mother let me…
– Look at your hair
Look at your face
Look at your cooking
Look at your unkept house
What man would stay ?

Written byDavid Sasaki

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[…] EL SER MUJER En un principio, aún incierto, apareció la mujer, un ser creado fibra a fibra de azúcar, adornado con tanto hilos dorados como sentimientos, un ser que se derrite con cada palabra que infunde fuego en ella, y que se enfría, levantando la pared más fuerte, con aquellas que llegan como témpano ante ella. Luego, aparece aquella cubierta que es más que piel, una cubierta conductora de emociones, de latidos, de vibraciones. Y apareció la mujer, y con ella la dulzura de las cosas hechas con la delicadeza que nada más se encuentra en ese ser. In a beginning, uncertain yet, appeared the woman, a being created fibre by fibre of sugar, adorned with so many golden threads as emotions, a being that melts down with every word that infuses fire in her, and that freezes, raising the strongest wall, with those that arrive like icebergs upon her. Then, that cover appears, it’s more than just skin, it’s a conductor of emotions, of beatings, of vibrations. And the woman appeared, and with her the sweetness of the things made with the delicacy that can only be found in that being. [poem taken from Global Voices Online] […]

29 March 2008, 16:14 pm

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