11/8 became the new 9/11
The night that shook America awake
Racism won.
Sexism won.
Misogyny won.
Homophobia won.
Inequality won.
This is a country that has been through
thick and thin
America’s mother figures fought for what was right
And what they earned
What we live for
What they had hoped for
Could be taken away
in a matter of seconds
Just about now
We have meaningfully marched over malicious comments, actions, ideas
Made about our rights
One of the very things
Women get ticked off about
Is how men think they know
Women more than they know themselves
Our reproductive health is our business
We aren’t things like a door knob
To grab, twist around, and push
Or a lollipop, you can suck the life out of
We can handle our own choices
We are not as weak as you might think
We hold the privilege to choose
who we love
We work long, hard hours
And deserve the amount of money
That is equal to our amount of effort
We must welcome immigrants who wish to seek new, better lives; a fresh start
It is wrong to let stone, concrete walls to complete the job for us
As citizens
It is our duty to take action
Grab it by its neck
And drag it with us
For the next four years
11/8 is the new 9/11
But for people like me
My mother, my grandmother,
My aunts, and cousins
Or people like your mothers,
Your grandmothers
Your aunts, your cousins
Our new president has
targeted women like us
Just imagine what he can undo next?
Your buttons? Your rights?
This chaotic future is being handed
to us on a silver platter
You call it making America great again?
I call it making America weaker,
Repeating history, losing allies,
And developing a place more dangerous than a war zone
Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Stanton
Sound familiar?
The list goes on like the digits of pi
The torch is being passed onto our generation
Now
It’s our time to fight wars
Forcing our feet to move until they give up
Allowing our tears to be filled with pride
Our cries calmed from cheers and chants
We have voices that deserve to be heard a thousand miles
And all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave
I like how you are using recent events to describe other events in the past. It's perfect because we can all relate.
ReplyDeleteReally cool message! I enjoyed the beginning especially about 11/8.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool poem and I really like it. It's strong and powerful.
ReplyDeleteI love the play on 9/11 and 11/8... you could even make it 11/9 as that was the day the votes were confirmed and reality hit. I can tell you feel strongly about what you write!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this poem, especially when you performed it! By addressing new events like the election, really brought the attention back to the true problem. The message is so powerful and subtle references to actual problems women like us have to face made it even stronger!
ReplyDeleteIt is a very powerful poem.
ReplyDeleteI like when you said
"Racism won.
Sexism won.
Misogyny won.
Homophobia won.
Inequality won."
Because it is all true.
I really enjoyed your poem. I like how it sends a really strong message about the election and our country. It's powerful,good job.
ReplyDeleteYour poem brings out the problems around us through metaphors
ReplyDelete