poem “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky”, a poem written on the anniversary of the 583 date the Maya queen Yohl Ik’nal is crowned ruler of Palenque, about how few records exist of women as rulers, and she is one of the few, and most men think women cannot be in a position of power because of groupthink, but that women have been strong and women are strong, if only men would now wear blinders and exclude people from obtaining and using power - wisely, By Chicago Poet Janet Kuypers

[the Writing of Kuypers] [JanetKuypers.com] [Bio] [Poems] [Prose]

See the YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Key to a Storyline” (written 12/21, on and for National Short Story Day), “Overturn the Futility” (written 12/22, on and for the 1849 date Fyodor Dostoyevsky was supposed to be killed for crimes against the Czar), “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky” (written 12/23, on and for the 583 date the Maya queen Yohl Ik’nal is crowned ruler of Palenque), “Usual Conquest Style” (written 12/24, on and for the 1777 date that Kiritimati, AKA Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook), “Exploit the Island” (written 12/25, on and for the 1643 date that Christmas Island was discovered), “Lost Cross” (for Christmas), and “Dilemmas in Gift Giving” (for Christmas) from the Janet Kuypers poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume Two: July-December)” for The Café Gallery 12/23/20 Book Reading in The Café Gallery Book Reading series (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersthecafegallery

See a Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Key to a Storyline”, “Overturn the Futility”, “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky”, “Usual Conquest Style”, “Exploit the Island”, “Lost Cross”, and “Dilemmas in Gift Giving” from the Janet Kuypers poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume Two: July-December)” for The Café Gallery 12/23/20 Book Reading in The Café Gallery Book Reading series (this video was filmed and streamed from a Samsung S9 camera). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersthecafegallery

Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Queen, Decapitated”, “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky”, “Key to a Storyline”, and “Explorers at Heart” from the Down in the Dirt 12/21 v190 book “Life boat” 12/1/21 on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for the “Community Poetry” open mic (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading

Enjoy this Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Queen, Decapitated”, “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky”, “Key to a Storyline”, and “Explorers at Heart” from the Down in the Dirt 12/21 v190 book “Life boat” 12/1/21 on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for the “Community Poetry” open mic (this video was filmed & streamed from a Samsung S9 camera with a bubble filter). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading

Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems poems “Emperor Assassinations and Partisan Politics”, “Queen, Decapitated”, and “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky” from the Scars Publi cations 9-12/21 Down in the Dirt issue collection book “Stardust in Hand” 4/6/22 on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for and in honor of the “Community Poetry” reading (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry

Enjoy this Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Emperor Assassinations and Partisan Politics”, “Queen, Decapitated”, and “Vaulted to Silhouette the Sky” from the Scars Publi cations 9-12/21 Down in the Dirt issue collection book “Stardust in Hand” 4/6/22 on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 PM CST during the usual time for and in honor of the “Community Poetry” reading (video filmed and streamed live from a Samsung S9 camera with a Lava Lamp filter; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypers

Vaulted to Silhouette
the Sky
Janet Kuypers
12/23/19, the 583 date the Maya queen
Yohl Ik’nal is crowned ruler of Palenque
I gave birth
to the greatest leaders
of our time
I was also the
first female ruler in Mayan
history, and
was only one
of a very few female rulers
known from Maya —
that was borne
with a royal title. But I’m sure
you haven’t heard
of me or what
I have done, because, really,
why would you
think a woman
could do anything, amount
to anything, or
rule anything,
even if a woman earned it.
Tombs vaulted
to me adorned
the silhouette of the sky;
I’ll be sculpted
in the vaults
of my offspring, more leaders
you’ll forget...
because, how
could you — Why would you
even remember
something you
were never taught. Your now
patriarchy
shuns women
being in any power, so you’ll
brush me
under your
proverbial rug. Just know that
despite your
efforts, women
can be in power, despite your
efforts to the
otherwise.
Because when we come,
we’ll rule
in a way you
never expected. Because you
never learned...
because they
didn’t teach you. Or you chose
to not listen.

Copyright © Janet Kuypers.

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