standing up, d. ellis phelps

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

you can eat your dirty words

we are above all your derision

here is where we draw the line



(c) d. ellis phelps