This poem is spillover from the July 4, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by janetmiles. It also fills the "nonphysical passions" square in my 5-29-17 card for the Pride Bingo fest.


"The Women Who Live in Themselves"


In every culture there are
are those who walk alone.

They are the women who
want nothing to do with men,
the women who live in themselves,
the women give in to nonphysical passions.

They are the sworn virgins of Albania
and the consecrated virgins of Catholicism
and others whose names are not known.

Some of them are celibate.
Some of them are asexual.
Some of them are aromantic.
Some of them identify in other ways.

Some think of themselves as men.
Some think of themselves as women still.
Some think of themselves as something else.

Some choose the life for personal gain.
Some choose the life for religious reward.
Some choose the life for different reasons.

What they all have in common is that
they live their lives for their own ends
and they are not defined by
any relation with men.

* * *

Notes:

Read about the sworn virgins of Albania.

These are the consecrated virgins of Christianity.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, ethnic studies, fishbowl, gender studies, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
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