You're right of course. In our tiny tribe my wife invented a ritual with cake and a great Swedish book called Ja, jag har mens, hurså? - I've Got My Period. So What? - I've just asked my daughters what they remember of our (cringe worthy) celebration and they said, "We were embarrassed but we loved it." Anyway, the dog and I are heading out before I embarrass myself even more :)
Braces on teeth. Puberty summer going into 7th grade. Noticed girls that had nothing in June had bras in September. Rise of shame came on its own. “Stiffy “ to blame. The hormones took hold. I was grabbed by the horns like a wrangler and brought to the ground wanting to be kissed. Yes to writing from a lost memory enticed by someone, or something. Love the entry you made in early morning arcade entry on my writing today.
Fotini, I wake up from wandering in dreams to see your posts and others follow to see where I will take my pen each day to travel in my journal, turn each page. Every day a new reminder to just be the bottle with a message inside, go with the tide.
I am so completely honored to be part of the group mentioned; I wouldn't have written my poem without Stephanie and Nelly making an awesome, honest space for it.
Your poem blows me away. It makes me want to do better for my daughters.
You had me from the first line Fotini 🙌 yYou’ve captured the everyday and accepted loss of autonomy that young girls experience so early. feel the rage and grief and compassion in myself as I revisit mine. Xx
At this age everything is so complicated. All the changes we go through leave their mark on us, Amanda. It's no strange we still talk about such matters.
This poem brings me right back there, it builds so well and the last verse seals it. I remember my mother throwing me a pack of bras while I was outside cleaning the windows, I just placed them on the ground and kept scrubbing.
I don’t know if this is a weird thing to say, as I imagine it could come across as ‘ohh this guy just wants to see tits’ — but I have always felt genuinely sorry for women that it’s not socially acceptable for them to walk around topless. Being a sun loving Australian I routinely take my shirt off and bask in the sun — and not even just at the beach! And I feel my girlfriend looks at me with a wee bit of envy every time I do this. And yeah, your poem sparked that though.
It’s also a very good poem, in its cry for lost rituals.
Not weird, Michael, your comment, but the raw truth that we are raised to feel embarrassed about our bodies. I have been complaing about this discrimination all my life... I still do. 😬
Yay to Naturism and yes - free the nipple. I've had wheezes and chest colds from having to lie on a beach with cold wet cloth clinging to my chest. Ludicrous.
I love this. The poem. The chain reaction. The writing more each day. All of it xx
And I thank you for everything, Nelly! 🙏
What a beautiful lament to rituals lost and all those old maps to adulthood cast aside. I love these spoonfuls of wry wisdom. Thanks.
We could reclaim or reinvent some of these. Not all is lost, I hope. Thanks Jonathan 🙏
You're right of course. In our tiny tribe my wife invented a ritual with cake and a great Swedish book called Ja, jag har mens, hurså? - I've Got My Period. So What? - I've just asked my daughters what they remember of our (cringe worthy) celebration and they said, "We were embarrassed but we loved it." Anyway, the dog and I are heading out before I embarrass myself even more :)
Oh, that was so sweet a thing to do for your girls! Please, don't blush Jonathan :)
Braces on teeth. Puberty summer going into 7th grade. Noticed girls that had nothing in June had bras in September. Rise of shame came on its own. “Stiffy “ to blame. The hormones took hold. I was grabbed by the horns like a wrangler and brought to the ground wanting to be kissed. Yes to writing from a lost memory enticed by someone, or something. Love the entry you made in early morning arcade entry on my writing today.
Rite of passage gone wrong. Mothers do their best. We hope.
They do, each lamenting their losses. We are no different, I guess. That is why we love them so much.
Thank you, Mary!
We are in this together. Alone but together.
Thank you for being here, Richard 🙏
Fotini, I wake up from wandering in dreams to see your posts and others follow to see where I will take my pen each day to travel in my journal, turn each page. Every day a new reminder to just be the bottle with a message inside, go with the tide.
A: I am using the app, so excuse me for messing up with the replies...
B: I told you some time ago, I will tell you again, I love your writing.
This is a fabulous poem. I love the story of how it came about and the threads that connect us.
Thank you LeeAnn 🙏
I am so completely honored to be part of the group mentioned; I wouldn't have written my poem without Stephanie and Nelly making an awesome, honest space for it.
Your poem blows me away. It makes me want to do better for my daughters.
Thank you so much for this Margaret. I am honoured by your words 💛
I like the writing here, as it shows the uncertainty of things going on with us all of a sudden.
Life's that way, but sometimes we can use a little help. Thank you for your kind words!
You had me from the first line Fotini 🙌 yYou’ve captured the everyday and accepted loss of autonomy that young girls experience so early. feel the rage and grief and compassion in myself as I revisit mine. Xx
At this age everything is so complicated. All the changes we go through leave their mark on us, Amanda. It's no strange we still talk about such matters.
Thank you for reaching out 😘
Excellent writing. So direct.
Thank you very much, David!
I'm at this stage with my daughter, I remember my own thresholds well, the moments and memories clear as day. Thanks for writing this Fotini.
And I thank you for being here 🙏
This poem brings me right back there, it builds so well and the last verse seals it. I remember my mother throwing me a pack of bras while I was outside cleaning the windows, I just placed them on the ground and kept scrubbing.
Different times, Treasa. I hope nowadays the transition is not that alien as it was for us...
I don’t know if this is a weird thing to say, as I imagine it could come across as ‘ohh this guy just wants to see tits’ — but I have always felt genuinely sorry for women that it’s not socially acceptable for them to walk around topless. Being a sun loving Australian I routinely take my shirt off and bask in the sun — and not even just at the beach! And I feel my girlfriend looks at me with a wee bit of envy every time I do this. And yeah, your poem sparked that though.
It’s also a very good poem, in its cry for lost rituals.
Thanks Fotini :)
Not weird, Michael, your comment, but the raw truth that we are raised to feel embarrassed about our bodies. I have been complaing about this discrimination all my life... I still do. 😬
It’s something definitely worth complaining about — it’s ridiculous!
It is! And I could go on raving about this, but I am in a really good mood these days and don't want to spoil it :)
Yay to Naturism and yes - free the nipple. I've had wheezes and chest colds from having to lie on a beach with cold wet cloth clinging to my chest. Ludicrous.
Thanks for the restack 🙏