I wonder what the courtroom felt
When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg first appeared on the scene
This quiet
Non threatening little woman
Who, case by case
Continued returning
Representing men
And women
And explaining
That equality is better for everyone
there were
Over three thousand
Laws
On the books
Holding women down
Like a boot on the back of the neck
Or a hand against the chest
A man is the owner of his domaine and a woman
Is much like property
Men cannot be homemakers
Because that’s meant for women
Women can be fired for being pregnant
“She’s just lucky we allow her to be here at all …”
I know we are not what we were
But like so much analog static
We’ve rushed past it all
In the digital age
I knew a woman who got fired up every time
There was an election
And she would remind me
That when she was young and beautiful
She couldn’t vote
If her husband left her
He got everything
She was just property
If she was wealthy
When they got married
It became his
If he moved she had to go with him
I wonder if we recognize
We’re crossing over old bridges
Our hands are shaking
Over ghosts
And battles that have already been won
And
I’m sorry,
I’m sorry that there are always
Receipts for everything we’ve given you
I’m sorry that equality and your right to vote
Hasn’t been added to the constitution
They’re still holding the receipts
To legislations considering the refund….
Legislations can be repealed it can be altered …
And I’m sorry
That no matter how much we plan for a family
There are 25 men
Somewhere
Fist bumping
And making those decisions for us
I wonder if my arms are enough to quiet the echo
I wonder
If you still hear the laughter
And cutting twist of the knife
“Go back to where you belong
Shhhh stop overreacting
It will all pan out.”
Remember,
Progress is made
One step at a time
One battle at a time
One step forward, three steps back
We’ve been here before
We know how the punches are thrown
We’ve got the scars to prove it ….
