A Saint for our Troubled Times?
Wilgefortis wouldn’t wed,
would rather marry Christ so
willed herself a beard and
with a beard was crucified.
She became “Liberata” in Italy,
“Librada” in Spain — liberated,
though in France she was “Débarras”,
riddance, which is two-edged.
“Kümmernis” in German — anxious
perhaps– and “Ontkommer” in Dutch but
I prefer the English
Uncumber as that
exactly expresses what she wanted,
what women prayed to her for–
a life uncumbered by the
wrong sort of men.