Poetry before 1984

I wrote more poetry from 1970 to 1980 than during any other decade of my life. It was probably what kept me sane, for these were the years of my becoming fully aware of feminist issues, of historical wrongs done by my ethnic group, and of the connection between organized religion and white male supremacy. These were also the years of being a mother of young children, of experiencing divorce twice, and earning a masters degree followed by completing all but the dissertation for a doctorate in English. I taught college English while all this was going on, struggling — and often failing — every day to find time to fully meet all of my obligations.

Of the more than 120 poems I wrote during this decade, I have tried to select the best and most representative to post here, including poems of feminist rage, of personal despair, of political commentary, and finally, of hope. I've also included a few poems written in the early 1980s as my life began to shift to a new phase. Approximately 30 of my poems have been published, but they are not necessarily my favorites and some are not among my selections here. As I wrote them, I collected my poems under such titles as Coming To, God's Riff-Raff, and The Stars Won't Miss Us.

Poems from the dark side of the moon

Political Poems (Vietnam War and the Cold War)

Feminist Awareness and Anger

Love Poems 1975-1983