Opal Reflections
Perspectives through Prose, Poetry and Photography
An Engineer’s Journal: Open-minded
He turned to me and asked why had I come,
“To be an engineer” was my reply,
To which he scoffed and rudely put me down
To think a girl was pushing out a guy.
A few months hence, regardless how I tried,
My Chem.instructor oft would make a scene,
To call attention to my failing strides,
Though other classmates did escape his gleam.
It wasn’t all a badly scripted dream,
And I got through the rigors of my choice,
Until recruiters chose to come between
my aspirations, with closed mind, snide voice.
Male mentors, two or three along the way,
Saw more than my persona, sensed my worth,
Encouraged, challenged, nudged me every day,
They taught to ne’er give up, despite the bumps.
My resume’s now deep, spans many years,
With anecdotes of battles fought and won,
Some losses, too, along the jagged way,
A rainbow palette on which I’ve become.
I’m not a victim, just a stubborn sort,
Who felt injustice but refused to go
gently, be a brushed-off afterthought,
Of those who saw, but (blindly) failed to know.
With family ever by my side we thrived,
And now that we’re retired, looking back,
These stories unbelieved, yet uncontrived,
Through decades upon decades, wrought with flack.
My daughter can’t imagine; I’m relieved
that she and others after, can rely
on being judged for value based on truth,
Instead of preconceptions gone awry.
The challenges have only urged me forth,
Despite some passing lows, I’ve had success,
Striving e’er to focus on “true north”,
With God’s great gifts and strengths, I’m truly blessed!
discover-challenges/open-minded/
Lighthouse in the Mist, Cape May, NJ
Bandit
Festive View from the Pub, Peddler’s Village – Lahaska, PA.
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Opal Reflections 