Lunch With the Girls

~~How many months has it been?
We saw each other last on New Year’s Eve.
The year almost got away from us.
Again.
There were so many things I wanted to tell you,
so many things you should know,
but our time was short and my dialogue long.

We talked about our privilege,
taken for granted.
We talked about our activities,
moving freely through the public sphere-
without husband or fear.
Agreed upon the audacity of our complaints;
First world ‘problems’ are so mundane.
Never a thought of the battles which brought us to this point.
There were so many things I wanted to tell you,
so many things you should know,
but our time was short . . .

We need to remember, never forget,
our collective voice had no political pull until-
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, Carrie Chapman Catt
and Anna Howard Shaw,
suffragettes all.
They took to streets in parades, protests
and cross country speaking tours,
calling for equality in the land of the free.
Mocked, scorned and imprisoned,
strong they ever stayed.
Those Iron Jawed Angels
gave us the Right to Vote.
First Wave.

I wanted to tell you,
You should know . . .

Women have made great gains;
Changed politics and perspectives.
Activists have led us to breaking barriers-
even with our long HIStory of oppression
and segregation, women have set records,
proved their worth, strength and abilities.
Yet, still under their husband’s domain,
no credit, no protection: rule of thumb,
married with minimal opportunity,
and a single woman even less.
To strike for equality, to make demands,
“The right to safe and legal abortion,
right to accessible and affordable childcare,
right to equal opportunities in education and employment.”
Roe V Wade a victory, none the less.
Thank you Gloria Steinem for a constructive medium-
no pearls required.
Second Wave.

I wanted to tell you,
you should know . . .

The New Right of Falwell and Schlafly,
demands to reform the ‘Merikan culture-
framed as traditional patriarchal structure,
Victorian and Nuclear.
Reproductive Justice meets Right to Life,
bombings, arson, vandalism, scare tactics. . .
murder.
Feminist labeled in negative light:
bra-burning, hairy-legged, castrating,
man-hating, hewoman, lesbian dykes.
The backlash due to negative stereotypes-
reduced our white middle class numbers.
Stoking the fire, bringing new life,
be thankful of Women of Color.
Third Wave.

I wanted to tell you,
you should know . . .

Speak out loud, say their names,
communicate their cause . . . our cause.
From the beginning of the land of the free,
Abigail Adams, Judith Sargent Stevens Murray and Mary Wollstonecraft
advocating for our equality.
The nineteenth century brought us so many:
Lyons gave college to women and Truth gave us “Ain’t I a Woman.”
Woodhull is first to run for President and Wells campaigns for antilynching,
Solomon and Sonnenschein begin a feminine Jewish dialogue.
The turn of the century opened new doors;
Rankin serves in the House, Sanger creates Planned Parenthood,
Earhart fly’s solo, and Perkins holds a Cabinet position,
to name a few.
Mid-century through, more amazing women fought-
for me and for you.
Parks ignites a movement, Martin and Lyon are first on Lesbian rights,
while Huerta helps start U.F.W., from Friedan The Feminine Mystique,
Chisholm first African American woman elected to Congress,
O’Conner is first woman appointed to U.S. Supreme Court,
Ride is first American woman in space, in space no less.
The walls of oppression are breaking down.
Speak their names, remember our cause.

I wanted to tell you,
you should know . . .

Lunch with the girls comes only two or three times a year,
our paths have gone in such different directions,
yet we all have benefitted from our fore-sisters,
let’s make time to have this conversation.
You both have reaped the rewards,
out-earning your men have put you in charge.
We have enjoyed the fruits of the activist’s labors . . .
now is the time to honor their work.
When we meet next time, let us not forget,
how much has been sacrificed for us to have our lunch.