Women Lost in History – A Villanelle

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Women Lost in History by Becca Miller - Photo by Sonja Lippmann

Remember the tales of warriors and queens
Hatshepsut, looking damn good in a beard
Let not these heroines go unseen

Boudicca in her chariot fearlessly careens
Romans in her path either flee or get speared
Remember the tales of warriors and queens

Eleanor of Aquitaine, kingmaker behind the scenes
In England and France she was a lady revered
Let not these heroines go unseen

Alva Belmont of the Gilded Age, a woman of means
A proud suffragette even while society sneered
Remember the tales of warriors and queens

Claudette Colvin thrown in jail at just fifteen
In the fight for civil rights she pioneered
Let not these heroines go unseen

These remarkable women and many in between
Into history’s murky depths somehow disappeared
Remember the tales of warriors and queens
Let not these heroines go unseen

We encourage you to learn more about each of these women’s stories by clicking the links below:
https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/hatshepsut
https://www.history.com/news/who-was-boudica
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alva-Belmont
https://www.biography.com/activist/claudette-colvin
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Becca Miller is a member of the class of 2023 at Jack M Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, PA. She participates in her school's soccer, basketball, and track teams and works on the staff of various school publications. Her favorite subjects are English and History. As a proud vegetarian, she is a member of her school's Environmental Action Club.
Accompanying photo: “Bald and Beautiful” by Sonja Lippman