[W]hile we start early to teach little girls that they are responsible for the sexual attention they draw to themselves, I have hardly seen the same energy used to repudiate the assaulters.
Close Your Legs — Nwaami
Close Your Legs — Nwaami
Tag Archives: feminist
Poetry is…Audre Lorde
Honoring Audre Lorde today
February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992
Happy Birthday Angela Davis!
for the love of poetry, Here’s Staceyann Chin
SHE CHRONICLES: Daily Quote
A SHE CHRONICLES Quote – June Jordan
“Why did we need a movement for you to #SayHerName”?
She in Texas / South Dakota
She in Alabama / South Carolina
Empty beds / abandoned hairbrushes
unused minutes
a forgotten body
Somebody #SayHerName
SUBMISSIONS OPEN!
Yes, folks… it is that time again! Time to get those submissions ready for SHE CHRONICLES 2018
Click through the issue of She Chronicles from 2016. The deadline is March 28th so get those selections in!
Join this Women’s Writing Retreat
Women writers… are you working on a project with a southern theme or agenda? If so, this weekend retreat is for you! Click here for more details!
“Reverse Opinions” a poem for Rebel Yell
You call me angry
But you, have a million ways to hate me
So this isn’t anger / this is my confused face.
these lines on my forehead are
glass ceilings / eulogies / sexism and sermons
these lines are 400 year old collection notices
these lines are me not wanting to compete for every corner of my existence
this isn’t anger.
this is proper placement privilege
this is / been here done that and steady grinding
this is you mistaking me swallowing whole fruit for breasts
this is my lipstick protecting my smile when I kiss the moon at night
it’s not magical all days
sometimes I can’t abracadabra away feeling… “other”
sometimes it’s real survival tactics needed
these lines remind me where I hid bail money
where I’m safe to unbraid my fears and wash my past
this is an emotion you can’t repeat
cause you damn sure duplicate everything else about me
but this isn’t anger.
this is for my pushed back knuckles from
fighting traffic, hunting for low gas prices, scrimmaging through too ripe produce in my local grocery store, you know / regular stuff
this isn’t anger
this is me demanding you stop displaying to the world there are exceptions to me being human
being woman / being protected / be-ing loving / be-ing loved.
this is I don’t want the crime solved 30 years from now when the killer is probably in my breathing space
I’m not supposed to be offended when you call me angry?
But you, -have a million ways to hate me
this isn’t anger.
this is my stay ready face. – by Nikki Skies for “Rebel Yell” on BET.com
Nikki Skies 