It's just poetry, it won't bite

Wonder Woman


08.24.11 Posted in today's words by

Dean Olson has published six limited-edition poetry collections. He is emeritus faculty of the Evergreen State College, where he taught economics, cultural studies and maritime history. He lives in Olympia WA with his children and grandchildren. His poems have been accepted for publication in Cascade #2 by the Washington Poets Association, Prairie Schooner, Minotaur, The Innisfree Poetry Journal, and elsewhere.

Wonder Woman
By Dean Olson

At bedtime we tell our girls
how she uses the Lasso of Truth
to make evil men honest and obedient,
vambraces forged from Zeus’ shield
to protect the innocent.

She is a model of goodness,
we say, tucking them in tight.
Unlike simple straight-ahead steroid heroes,
she pursues love, peace and sexual equality.

We tell of her strength, wisdom and cunning,
yet she is soft and tender, often laments
fighting evil leaves little time to visit her island home.

Noticing the absence of boys on the island
the girls ask Is Wonder Woman gay?
We say it doesn’t matter.
Loving preferences would not keep her from fighting evil.
We tell them how she could be and do anything,
even if gay, so long as she told no one about it.

Their eyes closed around this truth,
forever knowing,
there are times honesty and goodness hold hands,
times they do not.



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