Poem: Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen

German Benedictine abbess and polymath, 1098-1178.

For Frau Tessmer.

Hildegard,

living in a time

when God wanted her to hear

went forward to become:

Poet, Preacher, Prophet, Teacher.

Hildegard,

living in a time

when women were oppressed

went forward to become:

Healer, Writer, Composer, Fighter.

Hildegard,

living in a time

when wisdom was wanting

went forward to become:

Leader, Physician, Mystic, Musician.

Hildegard,

living in a time –

went forward and Became.

Having lived in several locations throughout Australia and Europe, Ann Somerville-Charles is currently based in Adelaide. Writing poetry for over fifty years, her poems have appeared in anthologies in Australia, the UK and Japan. Today’s poem was awarded second prize in the Jackie Haigh Open Poetry Competition at the 1997 Canterbury Writers’ Group & Canterbury Festival, and was published in the UK’s Community of Poets, Winter 1997 anthology.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.