Savage Voices

I will not lower my voice

Jun 30, 2024

“Beside a well, one does not thirst. Beside a sister, one does not despair.” - Nüshu poem

The poem below was inspired by my recent discovery of Nüshu, a secret written language used by women in southern China. Nüshu was created during a time when women were regarded as chattel. Expected to follow the Three Obediences - obey your father, obey your husband, obey your sons - their feet were routinely bound and their lives restricted to private, domestic settings.

Nüshu was written using special calligraphic characters that men couldn’t understand. It consisted of poems or songs written on paper-folded fans and handkerchiefs. Nüshu allowed women to share their stories with one another, offering encouragement and hope without fear of reprisal.

Inspired by the ingenuity and bravery of these women, I propose that the women of America start our own version of Nüshu entitled Savage Voices. Though our feet are not literally bound, we are facing an alarming number of attacks on our lives that seek to restrict our freedom. If you agree, check out my suggestions at the bottom of this post and let’s start making our Savage Voices heard!

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Savage Voices

”Living in the earth-deposits of our history” - Adrienne Rich

Savage, she says,
with hands pressed to her heart
and blood on her thighs,
is the iron core of loving
the fertile soil that wraps the seed in darkness,
feeding its sleeping purpose
with the Earth’s sweet sweat,
the warmth of sunlight,
and deposits made by those
who walked the Earth before you.

Savage, she says,
is knowing your presence was planned,
woven into the backstory sung by whales,
etched into the lifelines of your hands
and the soles of your feet,
knowing that every footfall
spins a thread into
the warp and weave
of our evolving story.

Savage, she says,
is beauty wedded to form and function,
the loose-limbed, measured pace
of the panther stalking her prey,
the bad-ass, sassy sway of a woman’s hips
as she declines to serve,
declines to stand aside,
and steps instead into balance,
into the center of her life,
into power.

Savage, she says,
is standing naked in the presence of stars
that plucked your white-hot splendor
from the hotbed of creation
and sent it shooting,
shimmering, streaming
into the dreams of daughters
waiting to be born,
waiting to be reminded
that the Light of their savage mothers
flows through their veins. - Jena Ball

Become a Savage Voice

“It’s time women stopped waiting for men to do the “right thing,” and started an all inclusive movement that both educates and empowers every woman within it. We belong to a sisterhood - regardless of age, race, religion, ethnicity or sexual persuasion - and it’s time we started acting like it.” - Jena Ball

I learned about Nüshu - a secret written language created by women in China - through the Oscar nominated documentary, Hidden Letters. The movie got me thinking. Although the feet of American women are not literally bound, members of the patriarchy in this country are trying to restrict, control, and curtail our lives. So instead of waiting for men to “fix things,” why don’t we create our own version of Nüshu by writing poetry, stories, and songs designed to support, educate, and empower our sisters?

Below is my list of ideas for ways we might go about doing this. To be clear, I am only one voice among many so I am going to ask for and rely on all of you to share ideas and suggestions for how Savage Voices can be improved and expanded on.

Suggestions

Restack this post, share as a Note, and tag anyone you think might be interested.
Share this post to your favorite social media platforms.
Complete this sentence, “Savage is…” with a poem, song or story that expresses your Savage Voice.
Post your Savage Voices poem, song or story in the comments below or send them to me for possible publication: JenaBall@CritterKin.com.
Let other women know about Savage Voices by sending a brief explanatory note that includes your poem, song or story by snail and/or e-mail.
Ask the women in your life to share their Savage Voices with other women.
Ask the women in your life to write to both their representatives (local, state, and federal) and to the editors of news outlets expressing their concern about issues that directly impact our lives - reproductive care, education, income inequality, etc.
Ask the women in your life to vote for candidates who will protect their rights.
Send me the names of people and organizations you think might be willing to help spread the word. I can be reached at JenaBall@Critterkin.com