Shout out for the women, a poem by Peggie Graham

Somewhere near here
is a girl who is afraid
Is a woman who is bleeding
Is a girl who is hungry
Is a woman who is high
Is a girl who is hurting
Is a woman with demons inside
If there is a time for all things under heaven
Then this is the time to shout

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For the ones who try so hard not to upset him and then they do
For the ones who stay because they have nowhere else to go
For the ones who beg at traffic lights, street corners
For the ones who try to keep their children and they can’t

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For the ones who write their dreams in poems and stories
For the ones who make powerful passionate music
For the ones who paint sculpt film stitch draw build
For the ones who drum soothe cure heal

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For the ones who almost hide their bruises with make up
For the ones who have no home no money no hope
For the ones who are so tired from jobs kids housework
For the ones who live alone and lonely with their memories

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For Viola Desmond who sat where she wanted to sit
For Rita Joe who wrote the beautiful stories of her people
For Marie-Henriette LeJeune Ross legendary healer and midwife
For Mona Parsons woman of courage and conviction

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For those who are drunk and preyed upon by leering brutes
For Rehtaeh and all the others whose names we’ll never know
For the ones who line up at the food bank so their kids can eat
For the ones who escape to Second Story Harbour House anywhere

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For Dorene Bernard Mi’kmaq water protector and elder
For El Jones firebrand poet and prison activist
For Alexa McDonough first ever political party leader
For Muriel Duckworth and Betty Peterson warriors for peace

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For the ones who love no one
For the ones who want to love
For the ones who keep seeking love
For the ones whose love is lost

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For the ones who care and comfort older folks
For the ones who cook for churches and fire departments
For the ones who are first responders anytime
For the ones who dream and build beautiful gardens

SHOUT OUT FOR THE WOMEN
For the ones who love women
For the ones who love men
For the ones who love both
For the ones who love themselves

We have to
We have to shout out for the women
Because we are the ones who can

 

For the women, by South Shore poet Peggie Graham, was written for a One Billion Rising event in Lunenburg on International Women’s Day. It is one of nine poems we will publish during the remainder of the year. It was selected as a result of a call for poems we issued in May.

Peggie Graham began her writing life as a journalist and later worked as a government information officer, editor, and communications consultant for small businesses and not-for-profits and as well, a folk music festival and a library system fundraiser.

No matter what kind of writing work she did over her career, she always wrote creatively, and writing poetry was a constant.  Her poetry, fiction and non-fiction have been published in newspapers, literary journals and aired on CBC Radio. She is currently at work on a poetry collection and a non-fiction project.