Liberian Literary Magazine
Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture
carrying a life, just as Mother Earth herself
does. It shows some expectancy as we do at
harvest time. Yet she is determined, confident
to face those challenges. This speaks to her
sheer will.
The woman in yellow, is probably the
leader of this bunch; perhaps even the eldest.
Her pose, suggest experience and control. She
has been through the mill. She is probably the
one with most of the solutions. Her tub is the
fullest, and she wears the thickest ‘collar’
under the weight. Anyone who has had to
carry loads in this manner knows the value of
the collar. It balances the load but more
importantly, it provides relief for the carrier.
If it is not made right, it adds not only weight
but sores the head and strains the neck of the
one carrying the load. It is then befitting that
her experience dictates she makes it the right
size. Compare it to the other one….
Her yellow cover piece, placed in the
middle, suggests that she has a full life; she is
cheerful, vibrant, and exudes warmness. All
these qualities endear her to the others. She is
that brightness in all the troubles just shared.
She is the one who says the right things at the
right time. She offers the best advice on how
to handle the current situation. The shade of
blue she wears matches the water but more
than just representing life and energy, it is
about loyalty, wisdom and truth. She
probably holds the customs together. It
indicates she is conscious of her role and
performs it well.
The third lady is still burdened by her
weight, she is probably going through a lot
right now. She is not upright because she
remains unsure, laden troubled. Perhaps, of
the three, she needs this encounter the most.
She wears the green of nature; indicative of
her evolving state. She is growing, maturing,
her mind is fresh for planting knowledge.
They all stand in the same body of water,
but interestingly, right in the middle of a circle.
A circle that binds them yet allows them
individuality. A circle that protects them
psychologically and figuratively; a circle that
shades from dark to light, albeit slightly. The
burdened woman stands in a ripple, unlike the
others, whose legs the water splashes around.
But the artist does not leave us in despair with
the current gloomy situation. She merges
those ripples with the reflected yellow of the
gleeful one signifying hope; showing that she
is not lost, but only in a momentary dark
place. One which she needs to find her way
out of. She is bald, she is seeking, and she is
searching for an identity. Was this intended to
reflect her mood, her situation or her
dependence?
These women eventually return home;
each feeling better than before; each more
prepared to face her demons; each aware of
her inner strength; each capable of making the
journey back on her own, regardless how far
or heavy or difficult. Each finding more of
herself in the commune.
The scene above is applicable to any
woman as the title rightly suggests. Women
don’t have to travel far to fetch water before
they identify with this reality. This is the story
of most any woman who takes her duties to
family and community seriously. Any woman
that hurts and finds comfort from an inner
circle of friends and loved ones. It reflects the
universal stretching of womanhood, their
uncanny ability to juggle the lives of all those
dependent on them against their endless
problems. Their innate ability to find
solutions; to brave the toughest blows life
sucker punches them with; their resilience, but
most of all, their ability to stand up and throw
life one KO, even if it is the last thing they did.
That there is a woman’s strength. That there is
the epitome of women.
Tireless: A Woman’s Work Is Never Done,
appropriately depicts womanhood both
symbolically and realistically. What Cher
manages to capture here is the subliminal
characteristic of womanhood that even the
independent feminist can identify with on
several levels. “Tireless”, is one to have hung
in a prominent spot on the wall.
Tireless: A Woman’s Work Is Never Done
By Cher Corbin
Reviewed by: D. Othniel Forte
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