My latest poetry collection, Mid-Life Metamorphosis, is inspired by the changes that I’ve found myself going through since the onset of menopause. It’s difficult to find wisdom about this cycle of a woman’s life, and not having my mother to turn to for guidance makes this journey challenging. I thank God for my mother-in-law and for the aunts and older cousins that are in my life who I can look to as an example, and prayer and meditation have provided a strong foundation, but credible, health-promoting information about this part of a woman’s life cycle is scarce.
Modern medicine treats this process as an illness, without providing the understanding that menopause, like menstruation, is a natural part of the feminine experience. Yes, the hot flashes and mood swings can be awful, but attaining balance and good health is not impossible. The potential growth that we as women can achieve through this cycle is immense, and I have come to see this process as a natural step towards becoming a grandmother, and grandma’s wisdom is priceless.
I’m sharing this poetry collection as an act of love for women my age who may be going through similar struggles and as an invitation to all women to support each other as we progress through the cycles of our lives, for the sake of ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Inshaa’Allah, God-willing, the paperback and kindle format of the collection will be available on Amazon in November.
Here’s the title poem from the collection:
Mid-Life Metamorphosis
I’m feeling powerful today
like a female Morpheus
mid-life metamorphosis in progress . . .
I’m becoming my own wonder woman and wondering what took so long!
Thought I was woke before – but this!
This is woke with x-ray vision
seeing life as it really is and not as the illusion
created by the confines of perception
and assumption
I’ve always loved butterflies
and now I love them with a deeper understanding
and appreciation
of God’s handiwork
Truly Allah, the Lord, Cherisher and Sustainer of the universe, is the Best of Planners
2021 ©️ Janette Grant, Mid-Life Metamorphosis