Advice to a Girl by Sara Teasdale and Love Song by Sara Bareilles

Advice to a Girl

No one worth possessing
Can be quite possessed;
Lay that on your heart,
My young angry dear;
This truth, this hard and precious stone,
Lay it on your hot cheek,
Let it hide your tear.
Hold it like a crystal
When you are alone
And gaze in the depths of the icy stone.
Long, look long and you will be blessed:
No one worth possessing
Can be quite possessed. 

Sara Teasdale

image from clairelaspolyvore.blogspot.com

We're not even half way through poetry month and I'm not sure I can make room for all the great poems that I'm dying to share here.  I guess I'll just have to go over a little and keep the poetry fun going. I've never been one to react well to being told what to do.  So, I guess I don't have to accept April's borders as a shoebox for poetry.    Since this is such an empowering poem, I wanted to pair it with a great "girl power" song.  I had so much trouble deciding.  Mother Jones has an article, including some lyrics and video links to 10 Awesome Girl Power Songs.

There's also a list of the Best 25 Girl Power Songs over at Swide.  Some are a little angrier than others. There are times when any of these could be your anthem. I'm having such a hard time choosing a song for today.  There are so many great songs that make me feel stronger, even when the lyrics tell a different story.  Like, I love Fiona Apple's Criminal.  My sister-in-law and I go crazy over the first lyrics, "I've been a bad, bad girl. I've been careless with a delicate man. And, it's a sad sad world, when a girl will break a boy just because she can." If that doesn't hand you back some of your power, I don't know what will.

Whether or not my choice is a good one, I've always liked this song. So, today's song is Love Song by Sara Bareilles

LOVE SONG

Head under water

And they tell me to breathe easy for a while

The breathing gets harder, even I know that

Made room for me but it's too soon to see

If I'm happy in your hands

I'm unusually hard to hold on to

Blank stares at blank pages

No easy way to say this

You mean well, but you make this hard on me

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you asked for it

'cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you tell me it's make or break in this

If you're on your way

I'm not gonna write you to stay

If all you have is leaving I'ma need a better reason to write you a love song today, today

I learned the hard way

That they all say things you want to hear

And my heavy heart sinks deep down under you and your twisted words,

Your help just hurts

You are not what I thought you were

Hello to high and dry

Convinced me to please you

Made me think that I need this too

I'm trying to let you hear me as I am

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you asked for it

'cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you tell me it's make or break in this

If you're on your way

I'm not gonna write you to stay

If all you have is leaving I'ma need a better reason to write you a love song today

Promise me that you'll leave the light on

To help me see with daylight, my guide, gone

'cause I believe there's a way you can love me

Because I say

I won't write you a love song

'cause you asked for it

'cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you tell me it's make or break in this

Is that why you wanted a love song?

'cause you asked for it

'cause you need one, you see

I'm not gonna write you a love song

'cause you tell me it's make or break in this

If you're on your way

I'm not gonna write you to stay

If your heart is nowhere in it

I don't want it for a minute

Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that there's a reason to write you a love song today, today