Thank You, Hillary

Hillary Clinton in Ireland, December 2012

A deep relaxation, an exhalation, a gratefulness,
knowing you have been there to represent us,
you, so much a woman, the mother of a woman,
the daughter of a woman, one of us.
Hillary, you inspired us, with your bravery, your clarity,
your firmness, your discernment on the world’s stage.
High up in the echelons, you represented us.  Thank you.
Traveling, traveling, in ease and in strain,
you spoke of Malala and Inez, all our brave women,
at one with our great community, this world.
Hillary, without fear, you went feet first
to the most dangerous places in the world.
Yes, we share your pain, our pain,
we born with a womb, our badge of courage,
our births that say the way will be rough,
the climb uphill all our lives.
We born with a womb, and from a womb,
our daughters, our mothers and ourselves,
know from birth that we must be strong,
we must know our minds and love our bodies,
we must speak for ourselves when our Hillaries are gone,
remembering her and teaching ourselves,
going on, for their sake, for Malala and Wangari,
for all the women who show the way,
to live strong and free, to move as we choose,
to be what we are, to be.

Annelinde Metzner
December 7, 2012




Hillary Clinton, who is soon stepping down as United States Secretary of State, was in Dublin, Ireland this week to receive an award from the NGO "Concern Worldwide."  She was hailed as "One of the greatest Secretaries of State in the history of the Republic."  Read more about her emotional speech on behalf of the world's women here.