The Way You Walk - Features - 25/04/2012

I have been thinking about sisters and sisterhood a lot this week. We’re all different on the outside, we live in different circumstances, different countries, we are different ages, but underneath we’re alike and we face many of the same problems and challenges. It’s good to know that, and it’s even better to know we’re not on our own and there is strength and power in that. However, it’s not just what we do but how we do it and how we face up to the trials facing us… the way we walk with grace and in our own unique way. Take heart. :-)

Our thoughts are free and they will set us free.

Die Gedanken sind frei … by © Catrin Welz-Stein


To grow we first have to accept and understand.

The constancy of change by © su2anne
Today I unstitch
Lay out and
Look to
Understand the
Makings of
Me. And in
Doing thus I
See my
Strengths.
Where to
Apply the salves. To
Bank the
Fires and
Nurture and feed the
Heart.
Stronger and more
Sound. I stand before
You as truly
Me… this labor of
Love must be done
Again and
Again.
Sometimes I can
Forget this state of
Change and the need to
Evolve. However this is my
One and only
Constant. To
Begin again…
To learn anew…

Sometimes all we can do is walk away and begin anew somewhere else.

Just Walk Away… by © Carol Knudsen


Relationships are complicated things but a little acceptance and tolerance go a long way to make them work and to allow us to be happy.

Thoughts while surfacing from the deep…- by © autumnwind
I am not perfect
nor will I ever be
…at your beck and call
keep from me
all that is precious
if it is your choice
age is too wise
to let the hurt
scar me…
anymore
I reach a point
I do believe
where I brush it off
why dwell
on not being able
to be the answer
to someone else’s dreams
I have my own
no longer living
for yours
this is a different moon
it does not shine
for you
let us share the sun
there is so much room
do not be greedy
I may never understand you
you may resent me
get over it
I did nothing wrong
and if ever
I made a mistake
I made up for it
with a heart full of tears
and a freedom to love you
with apologies
and even this…was rare
so this is life
my advice ~ expect less
we will never be
what we want
from each other
let us just be grateful
for love
it is there
it is strong
it is enough
I will not be caged
nor let the respect
that you so often lack
bring me down
to the depths
of darkness I have traveled
you think you know me
you think you know much
you think too much
can you ever just…
stop and feel?
stop criticizing the world
and those
closest to you
please…
just love me
without appraisal

The world can be a scary place and hiding from the monsters our only choice…

The Monster Garden by © strawberries


…and sometimes remembering who we are and where we come from can show us where our future lies.

The Garden by © MaryMac
broken and dry
the garden
tarmac replaces earth
hardened black tar over soil
natural instinctive movement
pushing toward sunlight
stretching upward
earth under pavement
bulbs and stems
growing upward
beauty and life sustained
life not seen
little girl remembers
picking lilacs with her mother
why do puzzle pieces become lost
natural instinctive behavior
fight or flight
little girl sits
remembering her mother
placing lilacs on the pavement
remembering her mother
picking flowers from the garden
And sometimes the monster inside us is special…


Katie - the Shark Princess  by © madworld


…and we need to embrace the power and strength of the monster inside us and stand strong to stay who we are and who we need to be.

Uranium Daughter by © RC deWinter
I am the product of decay.
The inevitable radioactive breakdown that occurs silently
as the cosmos whirls through the silent blackness
of space and time has produced me:
the uranium daughter.
I am the basest form of my mother,
I am heavy and mute and poisonous to the unwary.
My leaden reality is the final degradation in the long unknowable
history of creation.
There is no further evolution possible for me:
I am what I am.
Nothing man can do can change me.
I am here forever in my present incarnation.
You can step around me,
you can shield yourself from my reality
with rose-colored lenses,
you can remake my image into false idols
that allow you to sleep at night,
but I am the uranium daughter.
Despise me, deny me, repaint me,
I am always with you.
Through the sultry summers of tropical decomposition,
through the nuclear winters of your darkest dread,
here I am.
Embrace me,
the uranium daughter.

Hear Regina read the poem here

Despite all our effforts sometimes we seem to embrace nothing all and stand all by ourselves…

nursing emptiness by © sonja kallio


…but sometimes it’s only the eye of the storm and the beginning of change.

Cocoon by © Cynthia Lund Torroll
Go golden.
Wrap that saffron sheath
around face and form.
Close eyes. Let your tears
seal you in. Let the busyness of life go
on without you.
Listen.
Note.
Breathe.
You.
Cocoon.

We all need to excorcise the things that hold us back…

the Exorcist by © Jessica Islam Lia


...and occasionally that means letting go and accepting the death of one thing before a new one can be born on the ashes like a phoenix.

ashes to ashes by © ShadowDancer
when I lost you, the fire in my heart died out and left only a crumpled piece of stationery where you could faintly see the remnants of promises made and faded memories that no longer have meaning, and each time my heart tries to beat again, little pieces flicker off… dried and burnt fragments of paper holding a love story that only used to be, leaving nothing in its place but a hollowed-out chest and veins full of ash.

I hope you enjoyed the features this week. Please congratulate the artists and writers.

Matters of the Mind- Midweek Features -18/04/2012

Today’s feature collection is inspired by the juxtaposition of the elements of woman’s existence. One of the bittersweet aspects of browsing PPM’s art and writing galleries is being invited into the exquisite journeys each one of our active members have embarked on.
There is such beauty in growth, every seasonal dimension of it. Whether it’s vulnerable, inspirational, courageous, and/or outrageous, it is compelling. The art and writing that encompass these intricate elements not only provide the creator an outlet for inward expression, they provide the audience with something tangible that both ministers to those who are dealing with similar life experiences while it ushers in a spirit of empathy. It, in essence, offers a fellowship of intimate exchange and connection that many people only dream about experiencing.

---

A woman’s journey is many things: a spectator’s sport it is not.

Her passage by © su2anne
There is a place that
She needs to find
In order to
Become. And so
She treads these
Steps through
Life.
Watching
Waiting to see. There is
No relevance to
Length or time for this
Passage. Rather it is what
She makes of it that is
Profound. And like all
Paths there is the
Transitions
Beginnings and
Endings. That
She remains
Present through these
Phases is the most
Important.

Are there stagnant seasons that give birth to a hollow harvest?

nursing emptiness by © sonja kallio


Or is every season being lived to its fullest?

If I Lived One Hundred Years by © lilynoelle


Have you spent a little time feeling trapped beneath the forgotten rubble pile of ruins?

Become nothing by © Renate Dartois


Or rejoicing in becoming all you can be?

I Am all I Can Be by © unbeknown/Jakki Savage


Has the oppression of objectification ever made you feel as if you were only a commodity?

Just a body by © Thelma Van Rensburg


Or have you taken such oppressions and filtered and spun them into the very fibers that show the world you are so much more than a one-dimensional being?

Tapestry of Life by © Kanchan Mahon


Have you ever felt defeated by the smothering that is inflicted by the absolute control or overpowering influences of another?

Ruled by an Iron Fist by © Elizabeth Burton


Have you mastered rising above it all in order to tread upon the clouds in an endless sky of possibilities?

Adventure by © Thea/Tate Fox


Have too many dormant, repressing seasons hardened you?

Stone Blossom by © Tammera


Or have you tapped into or held fast to certain freedoms, even if it meant taking the mind where the body was unable to follow.

Mind Freedom by © Daniela M. Casalla


However you are passing your days, are you living them to their fullest, at whatever level that is individually possible?

Tiger in a cage by © RC deWinter
time’s precious.
life is meant to be lived.
i pass my days like some big cat
in a cage,
each day the same old in/out
of breathing alone,
eating alone,
sleeping alone.
life slips by dayafterdayafterday
in pixels.
there’s nothing tangible,
nothing real.
it’s all a simulacrum,
a shoddy imitation distorted
by imagination, by dreams,
by – finally, in the end – madness.
i will go mad if i can’t escape,
and so far i haven’t found a way out.
it all comes down to money,
that marvellous grease
that makes all the wheels spin.
my wheel is broken,
spokes splintered.
no wheelwright works for free.
i remain a prisoner.

Mistress of Magic - Features - 11/4/2012

When I am sitting and pondering upon about a theme for the weekly features, it is quite extraordinary how Tammara seems to read my mind and presents a beautiful image that not only fits with the theme but which inspires all the other choices. Thank you Tammara.
So this week, let us explore some of the mystery and magic that influences our thinking and the way in we and others see us. We grow up with tales of magic, fairy tales and legends, all of which have an impact upon our psyche’s at an early age. These stories build expectations, give us role models and help determine those things we wish for.

MISTRESS OF MAGIC © by Tammera


Let us start to make our own stories.

One is whole, one is beautiful © by Rishani Sittampalam
Fairy Tales do happen. But we make our own stories. We write them from beginning to end. We make our own choices and inscribe them on the pages of our life and live. There are no Prince Charmings who will slay your dragons. We princesses can slay our own dragons. There are no Knights in shining armour to shield us from dangers and snares. We damsels are not in distress enough to not to have common sense. So hear ye all damsels, slay your own dragons, and don’t depend on any Prince to come galloping into your life to sweep you off your feet. Every woman is complete, whole, able, capable of living life to the fullest and having their very own happily ever after – just don’t depend on other’s to make your fairy tale to come true. Being one does not make us a cripple. Sweep yourself off your own feet. Dazzle yourself. Live your happily ever after. One is whole, one is beautiful.

Rapunzel did at least make some effort to free herself from her imprisonment.

Rapunzel © by Sybille Sterk


Sometimes, such stories and myths guide our own unrealistic expectations on ourselves.

Just Hang me back up again © by bjeliMis
Expectation’s hands against my throat
cornucopia of strain pulsing through my arteries
I’m choking in the resolution that I can’t make it
Nails scratched the edge and fell right on through
These veins burn from trying
This fire behind my heart
left on from last night
Strangulating from the pressure
pushing inside out
These build up of thoughts crashing like thunder
wrap these arms tight
take pain onto paper
Hard to breathe when you’re overwhelmed by what you can’t be
you pin me to the board
say this is what you should be
and all the while I’m dangling from the plastic pin
my skin ripping from the top
and there I go
there I drop

Our bids for freedom are difficult against such myths.

Wild flowers do not move towards the sunlight … Self Portrait © by Anthea Slade


Our society and its media continues to place unreal expectations upon us.

Between hope and fallacy © by msdebbie
Meaning, transparency
between word and idea.
Feeling, integrity
between hope and fallacy.
Radio, lies act as
shiny connections,
messages without reflection.
Commercial voices,
words so bright and big,
they are:
- sweet pear cider
to soothe a parched throat;
- dark chocolate
to placate a trembling tummy;
- bubble bath relaxation
before tawdry dishwater dissolves.
They tell such lies
about society,
about themselves,
about intimacy;
how close they are to me,
their down to earth listener,
while each lie earns more
than many receive each year.
The lies are breathless,
beautiful, tasty. Like
the notion of being
misunderstood, unloved,
untouched by an uncaring wife.
Just wanting a kiss,
sweet lips, to replace
torment and strife.
The lies fall so smoothly
into the cracks of a car.
They become crunchy,
like toffee,
or creamy and delicate,
like pavlova,
that I long to lick them up,
swallow whole the irresistible,
fluffy concoction.
Underneath the lies,
the truth shifts uneasily.
In my car, whether driving
over ice-covered terrain,
or through Brisbane humidity,
I listen for the radio’s whine,
for the lies that lurk so seedily.
I ignore the steamy murmuring
and step into the light, outside.
My own imperfect voice reminding me:
Feeling, integrity
between hope and fallacy.
Meaning, transparency
between word and idea.
So we need to stand tall and shout back.

Defiance © by Glitterfest


Wouldn’t we all like to weave a little magic when it comes to protecting our children?

Closing Time © by Jenifer DeBellis
What I really wanted to do was wrap
her in a warm embrace and erase
the pain, one tear at a time. I wanted
to be able to tell her “This too shall pass,”
just as my mother had reassured me.
My heart’s desire was to fill her with hope,
anything to numb the anguish that built
the raging storm that danced toward
an irrefutable truth and point of revelation.
But as I looked at those vulnerable eyes
I could not bring myself to lie, to give
false witness to one of life’s harsh realities.
How could I fill her heart with fallacy,
with fanciful fantasies that would fail
her like putting one’s faith in any (wo)man
is guaranteed to do? Instead I held her
tight and whispered, “I wish I could
tell you the things you long to hear,
but all I can say is that I love you.
People will disappoint you, hurt you,
and grow fainter as the seasons subside.”
A single kiss can only erase one tear,
but the love of a mother can overcome
a multitude of malice for the least of hers.
I guess I could tell her my love is secure
and accept that her disappointment
in such a seemingly simple offer
of comfort would some day be worth
more than its weight in precious metals.

And remind ourselves that freedom comes from within.

All she has is within © by Heather King


And we can find our own freedom if we believe in ourselves.

I think I can, I think I can…I know I can © by sandra ellen
I took a train of thought today
an express of no regret
wind blown on the platform
as the whistle blew, we’ve met
my train stopped at all stations
far flung this metaphor
my baggage stowed, I settled back
to close my eyes and snore
yet a constant throng of passengers
meant that this was not to be
so I staggered to the buffet car
for some hos-pit-al-ity
I perched upon a bar stool
to watch the past’ parade
and instead of getting legless
sipped on homemade lemonade
my wits about me I best keep
so to not get into strife
for to trickle out my ramble
is the story of my life
then she came, this vision splendid
sprinkling tease all over me
I grabbed my glass and coaster
and followed her to see
we coupled and lamented why
our travel plans thus far
had kept us on the right tracks
how ‘lucky’ that we are
you see, it’s not about our selflessness
but more of words like mind
so we megaphoned it up and down
that we are all one kind
the trip went on for miles and miles
across the countryside
I gazed out windows clear as mud
till I finally realised
let’s not listen to the rattling wheels
as the journey bumps and grinds
nor compartmentalized experiences
or insitu stick that binds
enjoy the rambling ‘feel good’ scene
as our trip about us flies
embrace the bigger picture
accept discern and rise…
ss Thursday March 22, 2012

Let us rise and celebrate all that we are and all that we can be.

l'ascension © by Lissie Rustage


Because we are women.

I am woman © by su2anne
There is a space
Infinite and
Vast with a
Lake of turquoise
Waters so buoyant
Yet allows me to
Plumb its depths.
And in this
Wondrous place I can
Rise up like a
Mountain and be
Swept away by the
Wind.
For this is my
Internal landscape.

Congratulations to all the artists and writers featured here. Each one of you is an inspiration.

Freedom of Choice - Midweek Features - 28/03/2012

This week’s feature collection was inspired by the topic Freedom of Choice. It would seem that in the new millennium there would not be so much at stake where women’s rights—or any human’s rights— are concerned. Yet, on so many fronts, women’s rights are as vulnerable as they were decades ago. This not only ignites a call to activism that will influence the larger picture, it fans the internal flames of passion in all women united to the cause for equality.
As each woman has a voice, she also has access to her own circle of influence. Sometimes holding fast to such freedoms and stepping out in bold confidence are a woman’s most immediate access points. There is power in the hope-filled optimism that resides in such attitudes. Today’s collection attempts to capture the essence of this spirited liveliness.
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Here the artist asks us: Are your choices giving you freedom to soar or imprisoning you?

Freedom of Choice by © Rishani Sittampalam


Awake, sleepwalking soul, to the sound of your name as it is called to life.

Sleeping Beauty by © Sybille Sterk


Stay in sync with the little girl inside; keep her alive and thriving.

A Girl Again by © RC deWinter
The day was a gift of vernal beauty,
the open sky powdered with the cottonfluff of clouds
so voluptuously sculpted they surely
serve as pillows for the gods
when evening drops its dusky curtained darkness
over all the tired world.
Thick butterscotchy sunlight washed the sidewalks,
danced on rooftops,
played in backyards,
and the lavish, brooding scent of lilacs
wafted far and wide,
Aeolian banquet for springstarved senses.
Trees besplashed with prism-rainbow blossoms
stolen from a Monet palette
waved their laden arms of green and reached ’cross
fencetops,
wood and wire,
trying to embrace me
as I wandered, solitary but for my canine comrade,
living charm looped with leather to my outstretched
wrist of winter.
Deep in visceral memory hovered the tantalizing hints
of carefree childhood,
struggling to consciousness amid
the feast of springtime spread before my
hungry spirit.
Remembered days of drowsy dreamlike dozing
in the emerald carpet foolish folk call
lawn
began to hypnotize my heart
with unalloyed happiness.
I wish myself a girl again,
a girl again,
a girl –
again.

In the heat of the moment, find that inner strength—it’s there, right next to courage and endurance.

Be Brave by © strawberries


And yes, you most certainly can.

I think I can, I think I can…I know I can by © sandra ellen
I took a train of thought today
an express of no regret
wind blown on the platform
as the whistle blew, we’ve met
my train stopped at all stations
far flung this metaphor
my baggage stowed, I settled back
to close my eyes and snore
yet a constant throng of passengers
meant that this was not to be
so I staggered to the buffet car
for some hos-pit-al-ity
I perched upon a bar stool
to watch the past’ parade
and instead of getting legless
sipped on homemade lemonade
my wits about me I best keep
so to not get into strife
for to trickle out my ramble
is the story of my life
then she came, this vision splendid
sprinkling tease all over me
I grabbed my glass and coaster
and followed her to see
we coupled and lamented why
our travel plans thus far
had kept us on the right tracks
how ‘lucky’ that we are
you see, it’s not about our selflessness
but more of words like mind
so we megaphoned it up and down
that we are all one kind
the trip went on for miles and miles
across the countryside
I gazed out windows clear as mud
till I finally realised
let’s not listen to the rattling wheels
as the journey bumps and grinds
nor compartmentalized experiences
or insitu stick that binds
enjoy the rambling ‘feel good’ scene
as our trip about us flies
embrace the bigger picture
accept discern and rise…

Go ahead: drop kick those obstacles that litter the path to your future destinations, to your place of freedom, to your place of discovery…

Girl Power by © Tam Locke


Even when no one is looking, remember to remain committed to your cause(s).

Joan of Arc by © Kanchan Mahon


Staying true to yourself means keeping your reflection close at hand.

The underside of neath by © su2anne
Is your
Reflection you? Or
Just what you
Decide to
Show? If I could
Scry out and look
Beneath would I
See
Shadow of mist
Intangible to
Grasp. But
Feel the
Non-corporeal? Your
Substance? Your
Essence self? Your
Soul?

Spread your wings during every chance that is provided and be ready to see where a new opportunity may lead.

Flight to a Different Future by © ArtPearl


Embrace uncertainty as a means of testing the atmosphere.

limbo by © Cynthia Lund Torroll
I am held
with great uncertainty -
of that
I can be certain.
But even that,
once known
brings immediate light
to its absurdity,
its lack of true form,
so counter
clocked I vacillate
between boldness and
permission, between apologies
and mission, between polarity’s
collisions.

Celebrate the woman within, each and every intricate dimension of her. She is always worth it.

All she has within by © Heather King


And even before the dust of the oppressors settles, rise up and brush yourself off. The road of perseverance has already been paved for you.

I Rise by © Janis Zroback


You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
~Maya Angelou

Anna's Birthday Features - 19/03/2012

It is my birthday today, so I wanted to celebrate by posting these wonderful features, all dedicated to International Women’s Day, and, of course, to women everywhere.


International Women’s Day – Part Three

I wanted to continue the celebration and awareness of International Women’s Day with the features here mirroring the creative initiative run by The Global IWD Women’s Arts Initiative who first celebrated the collective creative ability of women in 2011 on the hundredth anniversary of the first International Women’s Day. To mark special Centenary the ‘100 Women, 100 Artworks’ and ‘100 Women, 100 Stories’ initiative was launched. They extended the celebration this year featuring artworks (paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, drawings, sketches, collages …) and stories which have been created by diverse women from around the world to inspire, challenge, entertain and provoke thought from a gender angle. The impressive artworks celebrate the artistic grace of women. The stories are of celebration, hurt, triumph, shock, humour, anger, remembrance and question.

The features here today continue this theme.

I was blown away by this writing by msdebbie who, inspired by the writing of Ben Pobjie’s message to his his daughter, wrote her own compelling letter to us all. It was featured last week by Sybille, but I have placed it here alongside the twelve featured works as it captures so well, the very essence of what we are striving for here in Pink Panther Magazine.

Because you’re a girl © by msdebbie
Dear women,
I like Twitter and Facebook as much as the next person, but on Thursday, 8 March 2012, I have to admit, I was kind of trembling in my tummy, delirious in my daydreams, feverish in my furore, that we still need to have an International Women’s Day (IWD).
Really? Yeah, really. Looking back over the previous UN Themes, since 1975 (year of my birth), gave me a pretty nasty feeling…we still have so much, SO MUCH, to do:
- 2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty
- 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology
- 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all
- 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
- 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
- 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
- 2006: Women in decision-making
- 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
- 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
- 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
- 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
- 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
- 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
- 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
- 1998: Women and Human Rights
- 1997: Women at the Peace Table
- 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
- 1975: First IWD celebrated by the United Nations
The aspect that makes me most nauseous. How often do we need to read about equality, equal rights and equal access?
The world needs to change. For girls especially. My advice:
For every person who makes you feel bad, because you’re a girl – breathe.
For every person who says your opinion is unimportant, because you’re a girl – ignore them.
For every person who offers rudeness, because you’re a girl – thank them for reminding you of good manners.
For every person who calls you stupid, because you’re a girl – stand tall.
For every person who wants you to hurt, because you’re a girl – thank them for hiding behind pettiness.
For every person who denies women’s achievements, because you’re a girl – defeat them and strive for whatever inspires you.
For every person who judges your value based on how you look, because you’re a girl – be comfortable in your own skin, with your own face, elevate your mind over superficiality.
For every person who suggests anger and rage are masculine, because you’re a girl – yell and scream as much as you wish.
For every person who shares a rape joke – then tells you to lighten up, take a joke, because you’re a girl – report them.
For every person who thinks things are good enough the way they are, because you’re a girl – change them.
For every person who tells you it’s impossible to be as good as the boys, because you’re a girl – reject them.
For every person who thinks they can do anything to you without complaint or repercussion, because you’re a girl – show them you know your rights, your worth as an individual, and cannot be trapped by their miniscule mind.
©msdebbie 2012

Ina Mar contributed so much to our celebration in The Café and submitted two of her images to The Global IWD Women’s Arts Initiative and here at Pink Panther Magazine, we are all delighted and proud that two of Ina’s works were selected and exhibited.
“The “ideal” of woman in apron and heels (the work of sexual playmate and servant), displayed as object to own, complete with accessories and rotating pedestal, shown off at a trade show." Ina Mar

Self-Portrait as the Perfect Housewife © by Ina Mar


“A lily, symbol of purity and virginity, is almost always present on Annunciation images of the Renaissance. My lily is a little special as the stamen has the form of a penis. If love is one of the highest virtues, why did the bible choose a virgin to give birth to the son of god?” Ina Mar

Mi pasado y otras mentiras © by Ina Mar


A haunting image with a truly wonderful description, mourning the lack of maternal love, with its consequent repercussions of lack of self esteem.

Maternal Mourning – Self Portrait © by Jaeda DeWalt


A beautiful and emotive image looking at our past, present and future, made even more profound by the description…
“The one in which you live will be more vivid. But it may not be the one that is real.” Glitterfest

Past, Present, Future © by Glitterfest

This one, selected by msdebbie urges us to love ourselves, for when we do, freedom beckons.

when I loved myself enough …I began to taste freedom ♥♥ © by Sandra Ellen
When you come down from the mountain to skim your delicate diamond across the lily pond that is life; far reaching be the promise of forever’s cyclic ripple,
oh yeah!.
When you take that moment, that ripe and juicy moment and pin it to your beating breast to feel your now and then run with it like there is no tomorrow,
oh yeah!.
When your want becomes your will and nothing is your everything;
dare spin in the direction that guides you,
oh yeah!
When your very trickle becomes your gush and your tentative gives way to full of care immense,
oh yeah!
When mindfulness is your nature and bursts through as the sunshine of your heart,
a two step of your own peculiar waltz,
oh yeah!.
When you love yourself enough…
Guess what?
… Happy is your New Year !
© Sandra Ellen December 31, 2010

Let’s join together a fight societies’ attempts to mould us into fashionable and acceptable clones of each other.

Disguised and designed by Society © by helene ruiz


Whenever are we going to start loving ourselves? The sentiments portrayed in Helen’s strong image are so well echoed here in this thought-provoking poem by Shar.

For a friend © by autumnwind
first thing I notice
when I look at her anymore
are those laugh lines
and I wonder…
she still always smiles
and often giggles
surely she has had a good life
filled with laughter and love
her eyes though
as the years have past
since I’ve known her
most definitely have lost their sparkle
more and more I am aware
of those darn crows feet too
as young as she still is
society sure does a number on us
she’s often mentioned in conversation
‘and my teeth are not white at all
should I buy one of those
you know…whitening kits?’
she seems to worry so much more
it almost makes me like her less
I feel horrible about that
but it is true
get a grip woman
and count your blessings
is what I want to say
is how I really feel about her
for I know so many others
who are ruined, lost and alone
too many others… scarred and beaten
by life’s unjust cruelties
I often need to remind her
of her good qualities
just to cheer her and see that spark
it makes her look and feel so alive
she is alive after all
so breathe the free air
enjoy the blue sky
and relish the love in your life
yes, I will remind her
in a way she is more beautiful
with age, in fact
at times completely radiant
if you don’t love yourself
for who you are most of all
if you don’t let society
make you dwell on your outer beauty
if you don’t stop worrying
about what will be instead of what is
you are not really living
the life you were meant to live
yes, I will tell her
all of this and more
for she is so worth believing in
and believing in herself is crucial
so next time I promise to
and I will smile with my heart
and my eyes as I remind her
and her reflection in that darn mirror
better smile back…
© autumnwind 2012

Sometimes our own body image is so low that it is hard to get a grip.

Body Image… © by Georgi Ruley: Agent7


So it is time to do some redemptive work on self-discovery, improvement and responsibility.

A work in progress © by Su2anne
No matter that
I stitch and stitch
I can not
Sew fast enough
To stop unraveling
Me.
All manner of
Patterns and
Amazing designs all
End in the same way. A
Tangled mess.
Intangible. But a
Woman’s work is
Never done and
So like hope I
Never give up. With
Renewed focus of my
Mind my internal eye
Returns to the ongoing
Task of mending that of
Mine.
© Su2anne 2012

Let us learn to rejoice and celebrate just who we are, revelling in both our essential femininity and inner strength.

My Delightful Girl © by Tamarra BaVincio


Let’s rejoice and celebrate too, all those different roles we play.

xxX A Mummas Love Xxx © by lovemexxx


Let us all sing our songs together.


it doesn’t matter if no-one hears your song © Alenka Co
it doesn’t matter if no-one hears your song
reads your words, sees your image ….
stay true and your song will drift through the air
melding with other such songs into a universal chorus
untainted by fakery, contrivance and pretence
you have a voice, dear ones,
sing your songs
© Alenka Co 2012

Congratulations to you all.
I would like to end with a reminder to all our members.
Whilst I was choosing these features I came across some really wonderful images that were worthy of being featured. However, they contained no descriptions to help us understand the meaning of the images nor understand what the feminist issues were. So, please do remember to add your descriptions to all the images you submit to Pink Panther Magazine. Not only does it allow us to properly match your images to a feature theme, but, more importantly it helps us get our message across to so many other women out there.
Anna