she turned
unwillingly against her will,
by the stroke of faith
and lottery played
by virtue of birth
she became
one of those diligent
bowed, sad women
who live on a long course
of docile, thankless servitude
she lived
in fear of showing,
saying or doing the wrong thing
her desires swallowed
dreams doused and denied
she smiled
pretending to have
no misgivings about life
but when you looked closely
silent desperation stood stark and pathetic
© 2019 Jacqueline
I know many women like this. Maybe you know one too. They are all around you. Maybe you used to be one of them.
a cooking pot and twisted tales 
yes, i think we all do, sadly –
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Sadly, true of so many Jacqueline.
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So much truth in this poem Jacqueline.
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Great poem. So sad for those whose will has been broken like this.
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I didn’t read this, Jacqueline, I breathed it and felt it. I was a woman you describe. What seems like a lifetime ago. Anger changed that. And then Jesus took over and changed everything. Great work, my sister.
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It is so very sad..so very sad.
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Beautiful poem.
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Unfortunately, I have known women like this. My mother, even though she died young, taught me well. If you ever feel you’re stuck in life, get help and move on.
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You have spoken and portrayed the lot of so many women…Beautifully expressed …
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The Tamla Motown group ‘Four Tops’ has a song ‘behind the painted smile’ which I think is quite an apt description of putting on a smile to the outside world.
Thanks Jacqueline for post.
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