Meditation of the Middle-aged Woman on International Women's Day

They taught us it was different now
A new world dawned, the rules had changed
What's under our clothes was nobody's business
No limits existed on where we could range
When I was a girl with never a crack in my heart.

Practical clothes do not have a gender
Comfortable shoes are best for our feet
Hair should be easy to style in the morning
No face needs make-up before it's complete
These were the lessons when I was a girl with never a crack in my heart.

But four decades onwards, nothing is different
Our fates still determined according to name
Options restricted regardless of talent
Lifestyles are limited and roles just the same
As when I was a girl with never a crack in my heart.

With thanks to W.B. Yeats.

© Ju Gosling aka ju90

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