XXXVI
Are women really the weaker sex?
Our Regency sisters were smart,
They seemed so frail and fragile -
Their helplessness was an art.
They were shielded from all worries
Anxiety made them faint.
They were as pure as driven snow -
Like a madonna or saint.
No heavy bags could they carry
Just a parasol and muff.
A small reticule and 'kerchief -
They were more than enough.
A couple of centuries later
We have women's lib.
Not for us a home-bound life
Of merely kitchen and crib.
We can have a career and
Employers must not discriminate
But after a busy day at work
When we get home late ...
There's cooking and cleaning
Shopping and laundry too.
Oh to be a helpless female
With absolutely nothing to do.
August 1988
