At the end of last year when we plotted out our poetry calendar for 2018, Kelly chose our challenge for July. How prophetic was she to know that we’d want — nay, need — a voicey feminist to inspire us right now?

Enter Aphra Behn, a 17th-century playwright, poet and novelist who was also a scandalous rule-breaker — my favorite kind!

The assignment? A poem “In the style of Aphra Behn.” Kelly offered up Behn’s favored rhyme scheme and meter, which I followed, but I also wanted something of her tone and content in my piece. The first poem I tried was first-person, written in the voice of maybe Aphra Behn, maybe Hester Prynne. It was ok. The second one I wrote for my daughters who are coming into adulthood at a rather alarming time for women. It was a little better but very ragey. (Nothing wrong with rage, mind you…)

But then Kelly mentioned to us that Virginia Woolf had admired Behn so deeply that she’d said, in A Room of One’s Own, “All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” And that parted the waters for me. I prefer gratitude to rage any day. So here’s to Woolf and Behn and everyone who spoke before us….

Let Flowers Fall
After Aphra Behn and Virginia Woolf

Let flowers fall upon the tombs
of those who opened up their throats
who braved the chill without their coats
to speak for us still in their wombs
so now we wail and raise demands
in person or upon the page
we beat our chests, we join our hands
we leave behind our gilded cage.
Let flowers fall in thanks, in praise
for words well spent and trails well blazed.

For more of Aphra Behn, visit:

Laura
Tricia
Sara
Tanita
Kelly

And our own beloved Tricia is hosting Poetry Friday today! Go visit her at the Miss Rumphius Effect!!