A nation is not defeated until the hearts
of its women are on the ground.
A Cheyenne saying
Aho, Wise Grandmother says,
it is time for women to raise their voices:
in song, in council, in power, in truth,
to speak for social and environmental justice
for all the living.
"Huff, puff," says the big bad prez,
"we are going back 50 years to the Good Old Days
and women may not speak. We are not, in fact,
entirely convinced you are people."
Aho, you are foolish, Grandmother responds.
We have dealt with men like you before,
and better. We have grandchildren,
and we need to leave them a world that is alive.
You will find us a formidable force,
for we are half the earth; we hold up half the sky.
In strength, we bear your sons and daughters.
Our life's purpose is to keep them safe.
Our hearts are strong and full of truth.
You can lock us up. More of us will follow,
for we do not respect
the ways of greed and death.
Your addiction to oil is polluting sacred waters.
Your addiction to money is melting the polar icecaps.
Your willful ignorance is imperiling the planet.
Your inhumanity to our fellow humans is abhorrent.
We refuse. We resist. Our wolfish hearts rise up.
We march for our fellow beings, for the voiceless,
for the suffering.
We are of Life, of Breath, of Memory, of Tomorrow.
In sisterhood, in motherhood,
we sing the Earth Mother's song of truth and justice.
Our hearts are weary but our minds are wise.
We speak for the immigrants, for the refugees,
the innocent, for the wild, the animals,
the creatures of air, land and sea:
we march for all of Earth's beings.
We are strong.
We will not be moved, silenced or overcome,
and our hearts are no where near to
being on the ground.
We refuse. We resist. Our wolfish hearts rise up.
We march for our fellow beings, for the voiceless,
for the suffering.
We are of Life, of Breath, of Memory, of Tomorrow.
In sisterhood, in motherhood,
we sing the Earth Mother's song of truth and justice.
Our hearts are weary but our minds are wise.
We speak for the immigrants, for the refugees,
the innocent, for the wild, the animals,
the creatures of air, land and sea:
we march for all of Earth's beings.
We are strong.
We will not be moved, silenced or overcome,
and our hearts are no where near to
being on the ground.
Ah, Sherry, you have talked about women's rights in terms of today. Women really ARE the voice of humanity, always have been. "Our hearts are weary but our minds are wise." So very true! If only society would listen to the women.
ReplyDeleteThe Cheyenne saying is so powerful...women can and must speak for any change to come about... and the young women I see everywhere speaking truth to power are truly extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteOh this poem is FAB U LOUS ! Takes me back to the marches and demonstrations of that time. Like the way you have incorporated the songs We shall not be moved and We shall overcome. Our efforts have achieved some progress but there is still a lot more to do. It is unthinkable that a prurient pestilent beast is trying to undo all that was achieved but hopefully the young ones will carry the mantle and we will wave and cheer them on with our walking sticks:)
ReplyDeleteI love your title and the Cheyenne saying, Sherry. Very powerful. That "We are strong" is reflected in every word. An inspiring and beautiful poem.
ReplyDelete"..we are half the earth; we hold up half the sky." So lovely.
"You can lock us up. More of us will follow . . ." This poem lifts my heart which was very near the ground. We once knew our power as a group and will know it again, leaving no one behind. Thanks for linking that knowledge to first peoples and to song. Let us sing your poem to younger people everywhere on earth.
ReplyDeleteI love the wisdom of elders sung through this verse - almost as if it can be heard, felt and difficult to ignore - Jae
ReplyDeleteLove it It is so wise, so powerful and empowering; we are half the earth; we hold up half the sky and You can lock us up. More of us will follow Yes beautiful I am with you all the way
ReplyDeleteA strong voice in these times of lily-livered pseudo-masculine posturing by impotent and ignorant dictators in many countries around the world. All this is leading us to war, famine, inequality, environmental catastrophe and a dire future. "This is a time for action — not for war, but for mobilization of every bit of peace machinery": As Eleanor Roosevelt said.
ReplyDeleteSherry, I love this, just as I feel. Officially I am a woke, in Texas you have to be republican or your primary vote doesn't count. But though if the Dems could count, I'm back . Come general election I vote my feel. I was sickened when DEI got put away.
ReplyDeletePardon me please for being late for my comment, my SIL's father died night before.