compassion in men’s heartsthat they could view women as clean.
I strive, O Child of the living God,
eternal, ancient Queen,
For a new paradigm, not princess or b*tch,
that views women as strong and not mean.
I hope, O Child of the living God,
eternal, ancient Queen,
for society to know women have worth
after their children are weaned,
or at least after the age of eighteen.
I long, O Child of the living God,
eternal, ancient Queen,
for rest within the body that is me,
that I may be serene.
—Kate Rae Davis
65
Women Can Do Anything
Men never fail to dwell on maternity as a disqualification for the possession of many civil and political rights. Suggest the idea of women having a voice in making laws and administering the government in the halls of legislation, in Congress, or [in] the British Parliament, and men will declaim at once on the disabilities of maternity in a sneering contemptuous way, as if the office of motherhood was undignified and did not comport with the highest public offices in church and state. It is vain that we point them to Queen Victoria, who has carefully reared
a large family, while considering and signing [laws]…
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton
66
May We Walk Where the Grass Is Green
Oh our Mother the Earth,
Oh our Father the Sky,
Your children are we, and with tired backs
We bring you the gifts that you love.
Then weave for us a garment of brightness.
May the warp be the bright light of morning;
May the fringes be the falling rain;
May the borders be the standing rainbow.
Thus weave for us a garment of brightness,
that we may walk fittingly where birds sing;
That we may walk fittingly where grass is green.
Oh our Mother the Earth, oh our Father the Sky.
—Tewa Tribal Song
67
O Mother of the World
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that
anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help,
or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto you,
O Virgin of virgins,
my Mother.
To you do I come,
before you I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in your mercy,
hear and answer me.
Amen
—Memorare, Roman Catholic Prayer
68
May Peace Be with Us Always
Praise ye, Ngai… Peace be with us.
Say that the elders may have wisdom and speak with one voice.
Peace be with us.
Say that the country may have tranquility.
Peace be with us.
And the people may continue to increase.
Peace be with us.
Say that the people and the flock and the herds
May prosper and be free from illness.
Peace be with us.
Say that the fields may bear much fruit
And the land may continue to be fertile.
Peace be with us.
May peace reign over earth,
May the gourd cup agree with [the] vessel.
Peace be with us.
May their heads agree and every ill word be driven out
Into the wilderness, into the virgin forest.
Praise ye, Ngai… Peace be with us.
—Kikuyu, Kenyan Chant
69
Silent Prayer
Pray inwardly, even if you do not enjoy it.
It does good, though you feel nothing.
Yes, even though you think you are doing nothing.
Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance.
It is laying hold of His willingness.
This is our Lord’s will…
that our prayer and our trust be, alike, large.
For if we do not trust as much as we pray,
we fail in full worship to our Lord in our prayer;
and also we hinder and hurt ourselves.
The reason is that we do not know truly
that our Lord is the ground from which our prayer springeth;
nor do we know that it is given us by his grace and his love.
If we knew this, it would make
