Zionbound: Tribute to a
Female Pioneer

©2013 Susan Noyes Anderson (poem only)

image by Caralsil on Deviant Art

The woman stood, endured, grew strong.
Propelled by faith, she trudged along
the snowy trail, the dusty plain,
the rocky passes, slick with rain.

Another life she left behind
in search of peace she hoped to find,
exchanging treasures of the past
for precious freedoms meant to last.

She bought those freedoms at a price,
a pathway fraught with sacrifice.
Family heirlooms, sold or lost,
portended a more grievous cost.

This unforgiving trek laid claim
to health and strength; in Father’s name
she prayed for babies born too small,
enshrouded in a threadbare shawl.

Their graves she marked with memory,
no headstone for the world to see,
no time for mourning dear ones gone,
just pushing, pushing, on and on.

Her dress was washed in blood and tears,
but pressing forward through the fears,
she walked to Zion, made her stand,
and gave birth to the promised land.

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For another poem about the pioneers, click on Counterparts.

Related Poems:

Counterparts Easter Collection Stand As a Witness The Promise