Women Are the Only Hope

Back in December of 1987, I wrote a poem entitled "Women Are the Only Hope" in a meditative moment. Little did I know that the title would be the exact wording and precursor to a concept that would later appear in the collective consciousness and expressed by, among others, Mendelson Joe!

Women Are the Only Hope

Watching as darkness falls,
the perfect moment
when shadows shift in the sky,
brief lights backdrop the landscape,
quickly fading to black,
I wonder about the rift between men
and the dimensions within women.

Time and again I’ve thought
of a tree standing tall,
supporting the sky
in complete control of a quiet life,
in synergy with the environment.
Unlike man, even at his best.
In his world of acceleration,
who sits in the shadows?
Women are the only hope.

Lyssanda Eyers, 1987

Raconteur, railer, mixed-media artist and musician Mendelson Joe believes that speaking out can make a difference, and that women are the only hope for the future. I am compelled to reproduce an excerpt from his book “Alien” - an extraordinary passage, eloquent in its plea for the empowerment of women everywhere. If you are not familiar with his work an exploration could be in order at www.karenrobinsongallery.com

Women Are the Only Hope..........by Mendelson Joe

"The world is in such a mess now. There will never be leadership from men, because there are too few men who think like David Suzuki. So we’re fucked. The only hope is women; I really believe it. By using technology to communicate with one another, women can start to change the world. They should make use of everything that connects people – the internet, telephones, television, writing, singing. Women have to somehow unite and take control of the world. And the only way they can do it is by withholding sex from men. That’s the only way you can control men, to not allow them access to you unless they behave right. These are not original thoughts. If women were to band together and control men in this way, it would be at the risk of their own well-being, because the men would go around raping everybody. So women not only have to becomes strong, they have to be protective of each other and they have to be aggressive. Well, that’s an awful lot to ask overnight. But it’s gotta happen soon. Mothers are less likely to build bombs and drop them. Women are less liable to want their children to go to war. Women are less likely to knowingly pollute where they know their children are going to have to live."

from “Alien: The Strange Life and Times of Mendelson Joe" © Mendelson Joe 2000

This strikes me as a powerful wake-up call for the coming together of women in sisterhood and support. Since the revival of the play Lysistrata, whereby the women of classical Athens withheld sex to end the Peloponnesian War, there have been instances of women "saying no" to deal with corruption in government and business or to establish peace. Not that this would be likely to occur on a large scale (?) but just for the fun of it, think of what might happen if the wives of our world leaders decided to give it a try! The reality is that women’s unity can make a huge difference. We need to reject the competitiveness and mistrust of each other that has been instilled in us by the patriarchy to keep us disconnected from each other and from our personal and shared power. We need to have our voices heard as a collective! If you haven’t already, is there a woman’s circle or group at the local level you can join to address personal and political transformation? As with women everywhere, I have gained an extraordinary amount of awareness and empowerment since I wrote my poem in 1987. Changes seem to come slowly, but the great turning is happening nonetheless.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

Jean Shinoda Bolen has been urging us on to the tipping point with her work and guideline “Gather the Women Save the World.” She is a leader for today’s time of transition, and advocates setting up women’s circles and grassroots groups at the community level, for a start. www.jeanshinodabolen.com

"Women Are Our Only Hope" book by Anthony DiGiorgio
http://www.amazon.com/Women-Are-Our-Only-Hope/dp/1420884689/ref=sr_1_4?i...

"Women's Leadership - the Only Hope for a Just World"
speech by Ela R. Bhatt, founder of SEWA
http://www.allvoices.com/news/5367472-womens-leadership-is-only-hope-for...

"Societies of Peace: Matriarchies Past, Present and Future" edited by Heide Goettner-Abendroth
http://www.amazon.com/SOCIETIES-PEACE-MATRIARCHIES-PRESENT-FUTURE/dp/097...