“She was warned.
She was given an explanation.
Nevertheless, she persisted.”
—U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell

She persisted.

Binders full of women—
Latina, African American, white, transgender, gay.
Hole-punched all of us,
Paraded for your agenda,
Served up for your pleasure.

Scold bridled in an iron mask—
Padlocked, depressing our tongues.
Crazy emotions and shrill voices,
Bite at the bridle.

Sweetie, you’d be much prettier if you smiled.

Silence need not equal silence.
We have choices.

Oh, we nasty women,
Centuries of us—
The smell of us in our words,
Our sex, our power, our voices.

Strapped and dunked and sunk we rise.
We nasty. We trashy.

No.

We persisted.

Those words,
May well be my first tattoo.
After the scars heal,
It will be pink and perfect.