Cover of program for the National American Woman Suffrage Association procession, showing woman, in elaborate attire, with cape, blowing long horn, from which is draped a “votes for women” banner, on decorated horse, with U.S. Capitol in background.
standing up
~for DP who says too many good people are silent
not a short member of the ku klux klan standing by the garbage can alongside the road
but a black vacuum cleaner with a cone shaped fabric hat
discarded
or perhaps it decided not to suck up anymore
like some women i know who pack their bags —pretty panties in a wad— take their kick-ass attitudes & hit the road
not standing by
standing up
~
standing up for each other for themselves for the ones who cannot
yet
stand alone
~
women we do not stand alone: muslim jew black brown gay
immigrant innocent
there is a line a horizon of hope for justice
a line that has been crossed
too many times
too many times the night stick too many times the noose too many times the fire too many times the rule the razor wires the surgeon’s knife
too many times the cruel ruler: love undercover gods misunderstood
~
& always the curse and its lines:
in ’13 we stood in lines processed the avenue for a say to cure the curse that came with gender
in ’31 we stood in lines our hands out for daily bread to cure the curse that came from greed
in ‘63 we stood in lines arm in arm we marched for freedom to cure a curse that came with skin
in ’68 we stood in lines & sat in crowds to cure a curse called war
en masse we’ve occupied the streets a million strong we’ve walked: to claim our bodies to name the crime
to cure the curse of hate and greed
~
you call a woman’s blood the curse you call her knowing a witches way
you have veiled our faces stolen our young
broken our bodies and tried to own them
~
& now we say no more
you can keep your towers and your walls your notions of supremacy and extremes