Bridled

There's a real horse theme tonight!

a collective unconscious of horse shapes and nightmares... I like the twist in the stanzas from old style patriarchal judgemental disapproval to modern day porno slang--- but i can't help thinking that 'mouths are made for pleasure' is a lovely line, something Herrick or Aphra Behn might say

I must move in super effete circles, the lambswool brigade, but I haven't heard those remarks in W10 for some time-- not to say they aren't being whispered and shouted.

Canonette, it's a great choice of topic, women, what happens to us when we are cheeky mares.

There are a lot of mental health implications to society's notions of feminine conduct. I have recently been studying a mental health condition where the symptoms can include self-harm, parasuicide, switches of mood and outbursts of violent rage. Apparently two thirds of those diagnosed are female. Might it be the case that equal numbers of women and men have the condition and women are diagnosed more frequently because the symptoms are so unladylike?         Elsie

I won't get started on women's voices and contemporary repression because I doubt the comment thread permits the wordage. Agree with you Elsie. Think you've nailed the point home about stereotypical characteristics; what confuses me is how that isn't even recognised in 2014.

This is unpleasant reading, the old school and modern voice telling women what to say and do, it grates at your reader in a tiresome manner, 'his' voice is so effacing about women in general. There is a sense of On the Buses man humour in this. Always gets my goat how 'mouthy' and 'assertive' and 'ambitious' are still associated with women. Assertive is just enough without needing to dilute her, mouthy's really pushing the boundaries. The bastards. :-)

This piece should sound way out, but it's unfortunately all too familiar and spot on. You've made it flow in a way that on the one side would be seen as comic, but not if you are on the receiving end. Been there. 

Really well done!

Begging in the street and suspicion of going with another woman's husband could get women punished for witchcraft too, Canonette. If you have time and can face doing so, Google 'The Bideford Witches'. The last two women to hang for this in England were Susanna Edwards and Mary Trembles. Both belonged to North Devon. Their tragic story would work very well for a Radio 4 play however I have lots to do this summer, not all of it writing, I am also doing some voluntary festival stewarding for Oxfam, so maybe if another Abc'er gets round to it...    Elsie
 

An earful of belly ache is bang on. Lovely poem full of quiff-lipped repulsion and barmy bile. Just wish you could have stayed with the sexist pig a bit longer so I could have squirmed some more.