Birth Day

Armored in red, her voice commands
every corner. Bells gong on squares,
in steeples, answering the prayers.
Bright tulips crown the boulevards.

Pulled from the womb she imitates
that mythic kick from some god's head.
She roars, and we are conquered.
Her legs, sest free, combat the air.

Naked warrior: she is our own.
Entire empires are overthrown.

- Elise Paschen (b. 1959)

~ Happy Mother's Day!