... and other 'Xena'-esque tributes
I'd been looking through my bookshelves (now that I have most of my paperback sci-fi, at least, ON bookshelves again, following my move), trying to find a poem I remember reading years ago in the dedication of a collection of short stories, and only today did it finally occur to me to Google the words that I remembered from this poem.
Here's the entire text (more or less -- still haven't found my copy of the book, so this is from another helpful fan online and may not be exactly right), reprinted from the dedication in the book Did You Say CHICKS? Smile When You Say That!, edited by Esther Friesner (1998):
Hail to thee, O Lucy Lawless,
Xena actress great and flawless!
Beacon by whom we all steer
In this book. Wish you were here.
Thou who art a constant charmer,
Thou who wearest way cool armor,
Thou who provest, day by day,
Women have a lot to say
Whether sword or child in hand,
Spread our message through the land!
Say to every mother’s son:
“We are strong, but we’re still fun.
“Do not fear us, do not hate us,
“Never, never underrate us.
“We are Women, aye, you betcha.
“Want to rile us? We won’t letcha.
“Whether what we choose to don
“From Frederick’s comes or Pentagon,
What we wear don’t signify
“Diddlysquat, for by and by
“You will learn (as most men do)
“We’re your equals. Whoop-de-doo.”
So once more, thee do we hail,
Lucy Lawless, and the Grail
Of full-fledged equality
Which we hope we’ll live to see.
Thou who art, in syndication,
Hope of all the female nation,
Thou whom sponsors court and coddle,
Thou, our daughters’ chief role model,
Thou who play'st no girlie games
But kickest butt and takest names,
Please accept this book, with thanks
From thy sisters in the ranks.
Here's the entire text (more or less -- still haven't found my copy of the book, so this is from another helpful fan online and may not be exactly right), reprinted from the dedication in the book Did You Say CHICKS? Smile When You Say That!, edited by Esther Friesner (1998):
Hail to thee, O Lucy Lawless,
Xena actress great and flawless!
Beacon by whom we all steer
In this book. Wish you were here.
Thou who art a constant charmer,
Thou who wearest way cool armor,
Thou who provest, day by day,
Women have a lot to say
Whether sword or child in hand,
Spread our message through the land!
Say to every mother’s son:
“We are strong, but we’re still fun.
“Do not fear us, do not hate us,
“Never, never underrate us.
“We are Women, aye, you betcha.
“Want to rile us? We won’t letcha.
“Whether what we choose to don
“From Frederick’s comes or Pentagon,
What we wear don’t signify
“Diddlysquat, for by and by
“You will learn (as most men do)
“We’re your equals. Whoop-de-doo.”
So once more, thee do we hail,
Lucy Lawless, and the Grail
Of full-fledged equality
Which we hope we’ll live to see.
Thou who art, in syndication,
Hope of all the female nation,
Thou whom sponsors court and coddle,
Thou, our daughters’ chief role model,
Thou who play'st no girlie games
But kickest butt and takest names,
Please accept this book, with thanks
From thy sisters in the ranks.