#internationalwomensday

International Women’s Day — A Poem From My Book

.

Don’t Raise Your Voice

.

don’t raise your voice

my father would say

but he would raise his.

in the world of the man

the plan

was to keep us silent

smiling

while we followed the rules

his rules

.

don’t raise your voice

my father would say

but he would raise his.

and so it was

do as I say

not as I do

.

don’t raise your voice

my father would say

but he would raise his.

to keep us in line

the line he set

the be met

without question

.

don’t raise your voice

my father would say

but he would raise his.

so I learned to use

my outside voice

inside me

.

on my mind, that denied

on my heart, that cried

on my soul, that yearned

to be heard

.

and my stomach

turned

with all the unspoken

with all the un-shouted

with all the silenced

with all the sounds

shut down

to the ground

that humans need to make

or they shake

and quake

with fear

of the world

.

don’t raise your voice

my father would say

but he would raise his

until one day

all the un-raised voices

of all the world

found each other

.

and

joined together

.

and staged a revolution

to find a solution

for a place and space

to award

the un-raised voices

their time in the sun

.

and once set free

the un-raised voices

spread like dandelion fluff

blown once

with closed eyes

and the seeds got planted

everywhere

never to be contained again.

.

and so

voices will be raised

whenever

wherever

however

forever

never to be silenced again

as long as dandelions shall live.

Get My Poetry Book — — — Am I Falling