Esperance, esperanza and hope

Golden People oil on canvas by Tony Abeyta, photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Taos, New Mexico.

The Poetry Thursday prompt is to write a poem using words you either love or hate. Inspired by the courageous women of the Congo and Rawanda - who have suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of cowardly soldiers - this poem is about hope triumphing over despair:

They sing "We will never be broken,"
these women of formidable strength
Men tainted with evil tried to shatter their bodies,
but could not crush their proud spirits.

Tales of unimaginable horror they've lived to recount
Soldiers raped and maimed them; leaving parting gifts of Aids.
Still these women endure, overcoming horrific injuries;
determined their spirits will emerge from the veil of pain.

Despite trauma, despair, scars etching their bodies and their minds
With faith and joy they raise their loud voices to the heavens and sing
While a lone doctor struggles to tend their physical wounds,
they begin to heal their souls, finding comfort in shared survival.

No safe havens; all victims, they
yet refusing to remain so.
African warriors: They won't lie down, give up and die
Having survived what would kill lesser women.

They remain strong, no matter their bleak surroundings
No home to return to; no prospects for work;
No protection other than in this isolated place.
It could happen again, out there: snakes in the grass.

In Arabic, they shout "hiawan" when men behave like animals.
And "Haraam!" It is forbidden.
Such unspeakable behaviour unforgivable in every culture;
Will those criminals ever be made to pay for their inhumanity?

The women's stories won't let us forget;
their plight won't allow us to turn away from our television screens.
Their grief won't let us put down our newspapers and magazines
and gaze in the mirror and do nothing.

In French, the word is esperance.
In Spanish, esperanza is the term.
In English we say hope.
The universal meaning crosses all borders.

Comments

[Lotus]

What an eloquent and beautiful way to celebrate the strength and spirit of the African woman and to recognise the horrible brutality she has had to endure. I was so moved by your poem and I love the title you gave it, for without hope, how can we look forward to tomorrow?

[Maureen]

what a detailed, real, living story you tell with your poem, Tara. Esperanza ... also a beautiful word, so different from the word hope thought they mean the same. Hope is a great word too, just simpler-sounding, short and very sweet: one syllable. Somehow I the word Esperanza has more of the feeling of hope to me. Say it aloud -- the word slips off the end of your tongue in an upward glide, leaving us wondering about what's next ...

[Dani]

You always paint a detailed scene with your poems. BTW, you used one of my favorite Spanish words: esperanza. I don't know much Spanish, but I love the sound of that word.

[Jeanne]

I love the last stanza, how language can transcend and unite. Beautiful and political and powerful.

[cathy]

Madame c'etait merveilleux, this poem was rich with cultural strenght and pride, loved it, wow, amazing.

[mikim]

Beautiful poem-beautiful line "determined their spirits will emerge from the veil of pain". Powerful. Thank you.

[andrea edwards]

This is powerful. The words, the painting. I am stunned. Thank you for sharing this and reminding us how precious life is and how powerful we are as humans.
a.

[abhay]

Tara,
You always leave us with something to think about...to enjoy...to learn from. This painting and poem I'll remember for long...thank you for sharing...

[tinker]

Thank you again for your words; for helping make these stories, the plight of these people real to the rest of us. Praying that their hope of better lives be fulfilled.

[Thea]

This reality has been weighing on my mind for the past 2 days. This is a beautiful poem for such strong and amazing women.

[kristen]

Your writing is beautiful Tara. I like to participate but haven't tried to actually write a poem!

[josephine]

This is beautiful.

[Neasa]

Heartbreaking & uplifting at the same time - thanks for sharing this.

[a]

Powerful, Tara!

Did you watch Anderson Cooper, with Angelina Jolie? I saw a story about these women on it. I was so inspired by the interview, and the stories.(I love Jolie. What a deeply compsasionate woman, she is.)It all just made me want to DO something!

:)

[Tammy]

Your words were the voice of many who have followed these atrocities. Hope is an awesome word :)

[wlfryke]

I always tell my girls that by blessing of birth alone, they were born in the USA. But they are never to hide behind our "so called" safe material borders. Any woman's story, is our story too. I thank you for sharing this very important poem.
Wendy

[Kara]

Your last three posts - including this poem have painted such a picture and given a voice to the suffering in the world and those who have no microphone to be heard. Your writing is special - it opens me up. Though it isn't easy - it would be easier to turn away and change the channel - I don't - I slowly take in your words it is important to hear and read. Thank you for being a voice and thank you for your words of hope.

[Catalina]

I guess women support themselves in any culture, the moment arrived......so much in common when rivalities are not there.....lovely poem, gives strenght! when you read it

[AnnieElf]

Tara, I'm so happy that I saw Anderson's interview. The images of that segment and others burned across my brain as I read your heart-rending account of what we both were watching. Separated by ocean and continent, humanity cannot be divided and secluded from the horrors of Dharma, Ethiopia, Rowanda, Congo, Pakistan, indonesia, and Cambodia, justs to name a few. Your elequent poem gave voice once again to the voiceless.

[ally bean]

it is the idea of tribal togetherness that interests me the most about the hope of the woman of Africa. i see no such togetherness among modern woman. we are all much more on our own. no group to support you when you fall in my world.