credit – catherine stine

In honor of National Women’s History month, we opened last week’s group with Marge Piercy’s fiery call to action, ‘The Low Road.’ You might want to listen to this moving rendition by Staceyann Chin to give you an idea of how the power builds through the poem.

It might have already been in the air, but electricity was flying around our meeting room by the time we reached the end of the poem. Women couldn’t get their pens out fast enough. The writings were filled with a power that could only spell the confluence of energies. And the best part is, I believe the call to action you read below really will lead to action, to change. Because the group has heard her words, and has responded with their own hearts afire.

My heart . . . there’s a fire in there burning hot . . . A fire that will never go out . . . Desire so strong I must speak out . . . I will not be silenced . . . As a child this fire took the form of rage and self destruction . . .  A helpless hopeless girl . . . no direction . . . misguided desire . . . blameless but responsible for all choices, even the ones she never made . . . Never made a difference, just took it . . . NO MORE

I will fight back, not only with meaningless words but with action . .  and love . . . I need an outlet. .. All these ideas . . . I’ve always felt that I’d be judged or maybe thought to be dumb or crazy, but I don’t care . .  I can’t, I won’t contain the fire of who I am any more . .

My dream to help women who can’t help themselves, women or children who don’t realize that there are always choices . . .  even when it seems like you’re backed into a corner. I wanna be that person for someone else, the person I never had . . . I’ll start small with what I can reach rite now By talking and building momentum, by making everyone believe in us, by believing in myself. Through action and perseverance we can accomplish anything. I desire for all of us to open our eyes and become the untapped potential in our hearts. I have no idea how I’m going to do any of this. Just love and kindness and hope.

We can do anything. I know if I can change something here, I can carry that over. I can change everything . . . I can struggle for what I believe in most — freedom and education . . . Knowledge is power and so is truth. Things I’ve never realized before . . . said them but never understood them . . .

We don’t have to be ‘inmates.’ We can be women determined to create the world the way we envision it. I know stuff like this takes a long time to accomplish, but like Sarah was sayin, it starts with one and I believe if we can think it, we can DO it . . .

SS