Lindsay L. O'Connor

Happy Women’s History Month and happy International Women’s Day! This is a poem I wrote a few years ago. Ladies, this is for you, for me, for us:

for the women

A social media post that went viral
asked women what they would do
if there were no men on the planet
for 24 hours.
The answers would make you weep…

"Go on walks at night."
"Dance around town at 3am without fearing for my life."
"Wear whatever I want."
"Leave my drink unattended at a bar."
"Get a moped and drive around a big city by myself."
"Not look behind me
when I walk alone at night."
"Be more trusting." 
“Not cry as much."
"Explore the world." 
“Live how I wanna live."

We dream of a world where
our bodies are safe
so our minds are free to wander and frolic and sing,
where we can follow
the call of God on our lives
without having to justify-
as the most discussed part 
of our teaching, writing, presentation, or sermon-
the length of our hem 
the depth of our neckline
or the tone of our voices.

Too soft,
and we aren’t take seriously.
Too harsh,
and we’re seen as threatening.
We are threatening-
Threatening
the old order of things,
ushering in the new.

I see it in my daughters 
who refuse to accept 
that this is just the way 
it has always been & so shall be.
I see it in my elders
who pull up a chair and
tell how we got here,
ask how we can do better,
and cheer us on as we dream together.

I see it in my sisters,
who are doing the impossibly hard 
but holy work
of healing collectively
from broken systems, 
outward objectification, internalized self-hatred.

We are learning to stop
waging war,
even on our inner critics.
We won’t criticize, excommunicate,
or shame them, oh no.
We will not use the tools of oppression to oppress these tender parts of ourselves 
that were just trying to help us 
survive in a broken system.

We are learning that even
our inner critics,
and the parts of ourselves
they criticize,
cry out to be met 
with curiosity and kindness.
We are waging peace 
through compassion, rest, 
and healthy boundaries.

We are threatening 
the old order of things
because mothers or not, 
we know that Mother God
makes all things new.
She hovers over the deep
imagining with us a new way
bringing order out of chaos
hoisting the whole world
up onto her wide hips, 
smiling as she dances,
humming a song of deliverance
for every being
that has been held captive.