Fortunate It Is If Her Skirts Do Not Catch Fire

Fortunate It Is If Her Skirts Do Not Catch Fire

I must remember god is not my private
secretary. The dress of women is more
and more unfitting them for any mission
of usefulness at all. You want to do the thing
that is good whether it is suitable for women
or not. Hardly a man remains that I can call
a man. I have never known persons who
exposed themselves for years to constant
interruption who did not muddle away
their intellects by it. A nurse who rustles
is the horror of a patient, though perhaps he
does not know why. Do you know
the taste of your heart in your mouth?
Mine has been such a horrible loneliness!

note: all lines, including the title, are quotations from the writing of Florence Nightingale

Blog image from Library Image Congress

Also on The F Word Online:

Talking about poetry: Parisa Ebrahimi on Anne Sexton's feminist legacy.

An exclusive poem by National Books Critics Circle Award-winner Sharon Olds.

Hannah Gersen, Rachel Genn and Tess Lynch on their personal feminist bibles.