Joseph Loved His Women

Joseph loved his women 
beginning with strong Lucy 
who prayed him back to health. 
He loved his sister Sophronia, 
and he loved sweet Emma to distraction, 
trusting her to translate without the hat. 
He trusted her to bury the plates 
inside her house, inside herself. 
He loved intellectual women best 
like Eliza and Diantha, 
who were true as scripture. 
No woman ever denounced him 
not even Emma who stayed behind 
to rear strong sons 
while others railed against her: 
“If you hadn’t been born a woman, 
You’d be Perdition’s son.” 

It was his love of women 
that hammered his courage into gold.