" Fanny Lou Hamer Meets Malcolm "
a black woman-
could be my mother,
my sister,
my daughter-
described what they done to her in Mississippi
...how can we ever expect to be respected as men...
--Malcolm X
mother daughter sister
wife
defined by men
mother-
two jobs,
children left to care for each other,
their father in jail,
booked,
dead-
her old by 40
raising grandchildren with her children by 50
sister-
raped at 12,
abused by family,
the landlord,
teacher,
shunned by all her relatives-
on the streets at 13
her body sold for a shot of pleasure
daughter -
born addicted,
undernourished,
old enough to care of her brother at 2,
listens for "Uncle" Mike
to turn the doorknob
to her room
wife -
three steps behind,
off to work
the children take themselves to school,
rush home
to have dinner ready-
beware
if the bus is late today
or he stopped to have a few
mother
sister
daughter
wife
woman
Call us brother, Brother Malcolm,
treat us as the men you wish to be
this sister spat upon
this daughter kicked
this mother and wife beaten
injuries permanent
to be free
free as all men wish
women
men equal
© 2003 Gary Blankenship
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