There Once Was a Woman Who Was so Free
There once was a woman who was so free — this woman was you this woman was me …
And she expressed all her heart could feel eloquently;
Her beauty was unfiltered raw and real
And her innocent sexuality flowed creatively
She was allowed to be all that she could be
And when she danced her soul laughed
And when she smiled the angels shined
Up in heaven because she was divine
There once was a woman who was so fine.
There once was a woman who was so free,
her dance moves instilled in her peers, jealousy
Cynical: they said, why her? Not me?
The older ones said, oh how DARE she -
That freedom only leads to calamity -
There once was a woman who was so free.
There once was a woman who was so free,
And t’was fated that one day she met HE
Captivated, seeking Love’s eternity -
She’d never seen someone so wondrous before
Holding hands — electromagnetic force
It was He and She and She and He
There once was a woman who loved a He.
There once was a woman who was so free
And she has met her loving He
But sadly, it was never meant to be
One wrathful night, they captured her
Men that had come to trade and see
They wanted her innocent sexuality
They wanted it for their pleasureful greed -
In their eyes, she was there to please
There once was a woman who was so free.
There once was a woman who was so free
The men took her and didn’t let her be
For days and hours, she felt their force
Darkness came, she didn’t care anymore
Sometimes there were two, and sometimes three
And she couldn’t fight and she couldn’t flee
And the worst part — it was all so He could see -
And He didn’t fight and He didn’t flee -
And the violation was an absurd degree
Deep in the forest where she used to dance
Now she existed in a dissociated trance
Oh, what was of the woman who was so free.
There once was a woman who was so free
Love was not real to her anymore
As they threw her from the wagon to the forest floor
Alone and hurt and not even sure
If she was a human being anymore
If she was even worth the cold, hard dirt
Her love had left, her heart was unbelievably hurt -
There once was a woman who questioned her worth.
There once was a woman who was so free
She was dirty, hungry, and with child
Surviving on berries, like an animal, wild
Killed a bear to subsist in the cold
Her miscarriage happened — she almost bled out
Wished to be dead, she had nothing more to give
The first man who took her, she lost her reason to live.
Cold and unfeeling survival had made her numb
She waited for death but didn’t succumb
Is life really life when it’s so unfathomably bleak?
Oh there once was a woman barely alive, so weak.
There once was a woman who was so free,
And then what became of He
After witnessing the violation of his Queen
After he didn’t or couldn’t intervene -
He went back to the city and downed every bottle
The Love, the Love, the Love forgotten —
Guilt slowly eroded his heart and soul -
Like seawater defacing an old porthole
Until the trigger of his revolver he pulled
And that was the end of that beautiful He
Who once loved a woman who was so free.
There once was a woman who was so free
But now she only channeled misery
Hatred of self, life a penitentiary
Pain — and not Love — was life’s reality
All men were trash, this included He
And never again would she attempt to be free,
Never again would she be all she could be -
To show off her creativity, her sexuality -
As wise women know, nothing good can EVER be
Show your girlish gifts, and you’re asking for it,
Don’t trust anyone, all men are shit,
She learned it the hard way, died in poverty
Her body was wasted, soul bleak and empty.
Oh, what became of the woman who was so free?
Oh there once was a woman who was so free
Why tell this tale of strife and misery?
Because she is you, and she is me -
And everybody who calls herself “She” can feel the pain that once was free -
And we need to feel and we need to see
To forgive the scars of misery,
To forgive Her, and when it’s time, even He -
To embody the dance we were meant to lead,
To shed our tears and live sovereignly
To taste our fears and find sweet safety -
To honor our pain, and let it be seen -
And to know, we all are the woman
Who has always been
Free.
