To a woman in whom the state of
true motherhood has awakened,
all creatures are her children.
This love, this motherhood,
is Divine Love - and that is God. 

--Amma

A Note from Alice Walker

  My friend and spirit helper, the magical artist, Shiloh Sophia McCloud,
who is co-creating this website, had originally planned to offer dozens
of my published poems, already available, though often in mutilated form,
on the Internet.  Because of complicated copyright rules and laws,
meant originally for my protection, I cannot protect my poems that
are already on the Internet, nor can I offer them in the body of
my present work.  Therefore, wherever a poem would have been,
I have simply left its title.  These poems can be found in one of my
six volumes of poetry, available in the library or
from the website bookstore.

Rather than offering only poetry,
I am able to post other things, too.  
This is a good thing. 

Because I am unable to post previously published poetry, I will post
poetry that has not, to my knowledge, been previously published. It is of
course copyrighted.  If you recognize that a  poem has already seen the
published light of day, please alert us and we will remove it.  It has been
great fun to round up poems that invariably get away when one is compiling a
book.  They are hidden in crevices of the computer, on matchbook covers,
backs of envelopes, journal page margins, etc. They are also capable of
hiding again, once found.  A special tiny poem I had wanted to share, simply
disappeared.  May it return, unharmed, someday.

Click Here to read selected poems from the new poetry collection from Alice Walker,

Hard Times Require Furious Dancing

to be released in hard copy in 2010, published by New World Library.

 Read more of Alice Walker's Writings

Click Below to read from Alice's most recent poems from an upcoming collection:

Turning Madness Into Flowers

Below is a poem Alice Walker wrote for Gloria Steinem which is being featured in the November edition of Ms. Magazine!

She
For Gloria Steinem

 © 2009 by Alice Walker

She is the one
who will notice
that the first snapdragon
of Spring
is
in bloom;

She is the one
who will tell the most
funny
&
complicated
joke.

She is the one
who will surprise you
by knowing the difference
between turnips
and collard
Greens;

& between biscuits
& scones.

She is the one who knows where
to take you
for dancing
or where the food
& the restaurant's
decor
are not
to be
missed.

She is the one
who is saintly.

She is the one
who reserves the right
to dress
like a slut.

She is the one
who takes you shopping;

She is the one
who knows where
the best clothes
are bought
cheap.

She is the one
who warms your
home
with her fragrance;

the one who brings
music, magic & joy.

She is the one
speaking
the truth
from her heart.

She is the one at the bedside
wedding, funerals
or divorce
of all the best people
you dearly love.

She is the one
with courage.

She is the one
who speaks
her bright mind;

She is the one
who encourages young &
old
to do the same.

She is the one
on the picket line, at the barricade,
at the prison, in jail;

She is the one
who is there.

If they come for me
& I am at her house
I know
she will hide me.

If I tell her
where I have hidden
my heart
she will keep
my secret
safe.

She is the one
who
without hesitation
comes to my aid &
my defense.

She is the one
who believes
my side of the story
First;

She is the one
whose heart
is open.

She is the one who loves.

She is the one who makes
activism
the most compelling
because she is the one
who is irresistable
her own self.

She is our sister, our teacher, our friend:

Gloria Steinem.

Born 75 years ago
Glorious
To your  parents
& still
Radiant
Today.

Happy Birthday, Beloved.
The grand feast
Of your noble Spirit
Has been
& is the cake
that nourishes
Us.

We thank you for your Beauty
& your Being.

Namaste.

By Alice Walker,
April 20, 1997 New York City
The 92nd St. Y

Italicized portion of the poem written in September, 2009


 

All Right Reserved ©2009 Alice Walker