The close leaders in my life

Always fail and disappoint

The distant leaders in my life

Do not recognize my existence

 

The matriarchs of my family

From the civil war until now

Are the only leaders who

Haven't let me down

 

Stories from the lives

Are passed down as heirlooms

Their humble gravestones

Grandly mark lives well lived

 

They were strong women

Farmers, seamstresses, store owners

They were single, married, divorced

Never hidden or ashamed

 

They experienced full lives

Of hardship and scandal

However, rumors held no power over them

They never once abandoned ship

 

As their descendant I am connected

To a tale bigger than myself

Some may be long dead

Yet we know each other just the same

 

I have observed these women my whole life

Formed from their influence

A sense of bravery, still I pray

For the courage needed to follow their lead