Walk in the Steps

I walk in the steps of
Women who have gone before me
Who have paved the way for my freedom
From the ancients reverence of
The wombs fertility
To modern pagans celebrating
Monthly menstruation
Under the moon

I hear the cries and pain
Of women called witches
Who were simply different
Tortured and set afire
For being alone
Old or strong
By a church that claims
God is love

I see determination
And perseverance
Etched on the faces
And the pickets
Of the suffragettes
Both black and white
Standing up for the right to
Have a say
Cast a vote

I feel the rhythm
Of determined feet
Marching for equal rights
Equal pay
Freedom in sexuality
Reproductivity
It's my business what
I do with my body


I feel the pleas of my sisters
Beaten, mistreated
By those they love
Forced into slavery
Or live with their children
On the streets

There is no equal rights
Or giving up the fight
When so many of my sisters
Are treated as subordinates, lesser than
What can I do
But listen
Be their voice ?