gwenrussellgreen

September

Making Ways
By Gwen Russell Green
September 27, 2016

The door opened a crack
We slipped through
Harriet led us out with grit and cunning
Somehow
We got on the courts
Singed the nets
We got on the tracks
Burned the lanes
We got on the bars and mats
Taught them what they were designed to do
Picked up the shot put
Hurled it in to another atmosphere
We slid into the pool
Pushed the water
‘til the medal shined gold

Were told we couldn’t
Told we wouldn’t
Made the dream glisten with our sweat
Sparkle with our pride
Bore the birthing of new thought
About who we are who we could be
Redefined greatness
With every stroke, every stride, every volley
And Harriet looked
Fannie Lou clapped
Sojourner smiled
And we all said, “Ain’t I a woman?”

In Birmingham, 1963
By Gwen Russell Green

Spines cracking
Brittle burned bones
Flaming sparkles
Ruby racing
Down legs and halls
Brown singeing in the brightness
Green goddesses
Singing Sunday songs
Skipping sugar free
In the morning light
Cracking, crackling, crushed
Screams, moaning, moving out
Fertile flowers forever frozen
In memory
Forward feeling frantically
For Jesus
Face forgotten in the fire
Gone away, gone away
Falling
Flying
Future forever
Stilled

"We stand on their shoulders," teen poetry competition, in partnership between the
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED-Tau Pi Omega Chapter,
and the DeKalb County Public Library System

For Helen
On the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the DeKalb County Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl
By Gwen Russell Green
January 26, 2019

Gentle, genteel lady
Quiet spirit
Molding masses of children
Making reading matter
Passion focused librarian
Moving younger ones forward
Toward reading
and mind travel
Making marvelous magic for young people
Allowing them to see
To live in other worlds

Wife, mother, dog lover
A woman of purpose
A woman of grace
Leaving a lasting legacy in children’s minds
That will not be erased
Iconic mind molder,
Determined dream holder
Moving us all forward,
One page at a time
Helen Ruffin remains.