Feminism
A jab at extremism
As an artist, I feel that one of my missions is to broach touchy topics.
Like any other woman in the world, I have had to deal with nasty comments, inappropriate gestures and insults. I have also experienced discrimination and harassment in the workplace. I could go on and on, but it is not the point of my post.
While there have been many improvements in the way women are seen in society, especially in Europe and Canada, the road to equality is still paved with pitfalls. And it is not just some men's fault. Women are also responsible for the status quo.
Feminism is a vital movement. Without it, I would not be able to blog or post my photography anywhere. I would have no voice in society. And my life would have been limited to getting married, having children, and doing household chores all day.
I am grateful for all the women (and men) who have worked so hard to allow me to lead my life the way I want.
Unfortunately, every movement has its extremists. Feminism is no exception.
There are women who see the world in black and white—"me" vs. "them". Women for whom verbal fights are the only solutions to achieve equality. They cannot accept disagreements and will take attempts at opening their minds as personal attacks. In a nutshell, it is just "my way or the highway" with them.
The problem with that attitude, is that it destroys all the work previous generations have done. It alienates allies and makes it harder for true feminists to be taken seriously.
The poem below is a jab at extremist feminism.
FEMINISM
They say that your pronoun defines your strength,
That a “she” cannot equate a “he”.
I’m sorry but I beg to differ.
An extra letter has a lot to offer.
They say that equality is a fight,
That prejudice deserves bigotry.
I’m sorry but I beg to differ.
There is more to life than hatred for the sinner.
They say that man is the enemy,
That his fear curbs social progress.
I’m sorry but I beg to differ.
Ignorance is not the prerogative of one gender.
The problem these days
Is simple and yet so real.
Our anger has blinded us.
Our teenage angst has deafened us.
We sport traumas and martyrdom
As keywords to force one-sided lyrics.
For there is a bigger picture
That we conveniently forget
When agendas need to be furthered
Or wheat separated from chaff.
And while you feel entitled to be right,
And point fingers with all your might,
Bodies continue to pile up.
Screams for help still meet silence
Because you are too busy
Fighting the wrong fight,
Empowering negative ideas,
Minimizing diversity,
Instilling mistrust,
Negating differing opinions,
Interrupting cohesive discussions,
Seeking revenge, and
Maintaining the status quo.
For there is a bigger picture
That you need to embrace better.
Yes, it is hard to be a woman.
But is it the only thing you want others to know about us?
Feminism is not just about your personal journey.
Disagreeing with you doesn’t make me your enemy.
Feminism, this word you throw at others
When corners are dangerously close,
Is not yours to corrupt and abuse.
Feminism is about humanity
And the bonds that bind us.
It is not yours to use as an excuse
To belittle the rest of society.
Feminism is about community
And the legacy we’ll leave behind us.
Fortitude,
Empathy,
Maturity,
Integrity,
Never-ending
Impetus,
Solace, and
Momentum.
That is what feminism means to me.
©2018 Cendrine Marrouat
That's it for today! Thank you for reading!
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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).
Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.
About the Creator
Cendrine Marrouat
Writer & Author⎜Photographer⎜Artist⎜Co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms / A Warm Mug of Cozy⎜(Co-)creator of literary forms
"The Train: A Short Story" is out!
Website: https://creativeramblings.com
Donations: https://ko-fi.com/cendrineartist
Keep reading
More stories from Cendrine Marrouat and writers in Poets and other communities.
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Comments (10)
I really really liked this. Thank you for sharing and for writing this. It's so well thought out both the poem and your intro. Well done!
Thank you. Thank you. I am so glad to know I am not alone in thinking that the rhetoric has become more polarizing instead of productive. Too many misandrists calling themselves feminists these days. If I have to stoop so low and call every man my enemy in order to be a bona fide modern feminist, I should not be surprised when no man would come to my defense. And for those who would shoot back and say "we don't need men," I ask them "who built your house?"
'C' - We can all be referred to as 'victims' at times in our lives; whether real or perceived. As a 'Jewish' Kid/with Xmas trees surrounding our neighborhood I had a perpetual 'Black Sheep' persona stuck in my head. And, currently, with the 'knocks' on my profession; I'm glad that I've retired: Change the world with (1) kind gesture at a time. Our lives are not always as the evening news may present to us: Human nature is to be kind and to nurture others in need! ~ Non-Pollyanna speaking - With Respect ~ - Vocal Authors Community - Jay Kantor, Chatsworth, California 'Senior' Vocal Author
“Yes it is hard to be a woman. But is it the only thing you want others to think about us?” I think this it. I am happy to see the acknowledgment of women’s achievements, which are many, and beyond the grasp of most people, men or women. It doesn’t have to be at the expense of men’s achievements except where a woman’s contribution was omitted with purpose or stolen.
As a Father's Rights Activist, I saw the extremism from both sides. It is no easier to be a man than a woman. Even in a "man's world", historically speaking, most men were just corpses thrown into the abattoir of work and war for the sake of a few, and there was no shortage of aristocratic women who were happy to go along with it, some of them even being fearsome rulers themselves: Tomyramis, Semiramis, Cleopatria, Elizabeth, Bloody Mary, Catherine the Great, and, perhaps the all-time most overlooked yet successful female imperialist: Queen Victoria. All ideologues have a habit of revising history to suit their propaganda. I know of literally not a single exception. One must learn to read between the li(n)es. Ironically, the courage to challenge corrupt social mores comes from the unique individual, among whom we could list proponents of women's rights from the Shelley's to Susan Sontag. Which begs the question: is it really the cause that advances the individual or the individual which advances the cause? Perhaps when we finally make the individual the cause and the effect we can do away with our corrupt group ideologies altogether.
Great message, well written, and I agree wholeheartedly.
Fabulous!!! Fantastic poem, Cendrine!!!💖💖💕
Excellent message ❤️
Hi~C - I really don't understood why gender-labels have gotten so out of hand. Live and let live has always been my motto: as a former employer there was never anything other than 'merit' promotions within my firm. *I've subscribed to you, you are an inspiration! - Vocal Author Community - Jay Kantor, Chatsworth, California 'Senior' Vocal Author
I agree that 'fighting the wrong fight' can be seductive and take our eyes off of the common goal. Good poem, good message, well done.