Civil War
Their cause was “My”
But also “We” –
They loved their sisters,
Their sisters free.
They had been wronged
Centuries long
Till trust was dust.
“Our power to bear
Is a trap and a treason –
No, this isn’t fair,
There isn’t a reason.”
In their defense
Let’s think upon
Their violence.
“It’s wrong that men
Alone should be winners,
So let’s scorch the earth,
Let’s scorch our innards.
“It’s not okay
If the smaller than small
Are in our way.”
So the soft color pink,
Though it might seem odd,
Became the flag
Of an angry god.
On the other side,
They had nothing to win,
But it seemed unfair
For that child within,
Who can’t understand
Or say good-by
Or lift a hand.
They too love their sisters,
But justice resists,
They the pro-life
Feminists.
So they took a vow
That this crime will end
And the time is now.
“If life's thrown away
We’re going to catch it,
Your procedure is evil,
We’re going to smash it.”
But that’s not all,
Here’s another oath:
“Take care of both!
“First is life,
Then the world will fall
In an order where children
Are the job of all.”
So the best and brightest,
Two hostile sets,
Aimed their emotional
Bayonets.
Sister versus sister,
Pain versus pain,
Over children slain.
No, it wasn’t pretty,
It was ugly strife,
But their daughters and grand-daughters
Said yes to life.
Those later generations
Were nobody’s fool.
They applied this rule:
“Choosing mother OR baby
Will never do,
We stand with the warriors
Who love the two.”
Yet the women were brave
Who had lost the fight
That wasn’t right.
They were not inhuman,
Not unkind,
Just fifty years
Behind their time.
For a video reading of this poem: