Own My Life: Emily's Poem

16 Mar 2022

Sandra kens, she understands

Fit it’s like tae be feart o’ a man,

Men, “abusive men”

 

Her drawings nae up tae much,

Nae up tae muckle

But she’s richt keen tae dispel myths o’ tough love

 

Could ye dae wi reassurance?

We hiv hunners o’ experience

 

Div ye even need a lesson plan

Fan we’re lifting each other up

Wi oor collective hans

 

At group yer nae alone

Even if all ye need is a gid auld moan

 

Here unexplained laughter

Disrupts the patriarchal gender disorder

 

Twelve weeks flown by

Barely in a blink o’ an eye

 

Dinnae feel ye hae tae pretend

TAH-DAH! Aathins fixed!

It’s nae truly the end

 

Mind we hiv rebuilt ‘is solid foundation

Tae precede we’ contemplation, caution

 

Progress is nae linear

But noo we’ve tools tae decipher

Fit we want fae oorsels

Oonership

Oonership of wir oon lives

 

Fit are we thankful fir?

Each ither, Solidarity

Sisters-taegether

 

Unclench yer fists

Deep exhale-bliss

It’s okay tae resist!

 

Grampian women’s aid here in the north east,

Ats far ye’ll find fellow feminists

A sense o’belongin’, hope tae exist.

 

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Thank you to Emily, a participant of Own My Life course, for penning this brilliant poem to celebrate the strengths of the course and the special contribution of Sandra, the course leader.  

You can find out more about the innovative Own My Life programme HERE.