November 6th

November 6th, 2024 

Today my grief is loud 

She is shaky and terrified 

I hold her gently in my arms 

Cradle her small fragile hand as I walk 

Today my anger is louder 

She is shaky and terrified as well 

I cannot hold her gently 

Nor cradle her calloused hands in mine 

She needs to be heard 

Be seen 

Today she needs to fight 

As I walk out of my school building 

Holding fearful grief and shaking anger 

A red hat catches my eyes 

A hat that means more to me 

In that one color 

Than any hat should ever 

My anger wants to scream and yell 

My grief knows better 

I let anger give a searing glare 

And let grief hold my hand as I walk 

Today is a bad day to be a woman

Feminine bodies weighed by anger and grief 

Sit politely in classrooms and office cubicles 

Continuing to bow to men who vote their rights away 

Letting anger burn up our insides

Until 

All hell breaks loose 

And we let anger’s calloused hands 

do the talking