Red
Okanagan cherries picked in late August
A polyester dress with a white boat collar,
handmade by my mother when I was in high school in the 1960s
Geraniums growing throughout the garden
Garnet earrings I inherited, maybe worn once
Menstrual blood dripping
Bullets uncover life, unseat harmony
Hatred, death, fear
As invasive as blackberries and wild parsnip
Striking out, reliving sorrow, last gasps of
a life unfulfilled.
No mercy, no pride, no respect.
© Catherine Woods 2018
Why am I Angry?
Yes, I am angry.
It’s been building slowly
over years
over a lifetime of years,
a whole life of ignorance
(mostly mine)
of how the world works
and how to get what I need
and how to know what I need
and how to see clearly
what needs to be done
next door,
down the street,
across town,
in the nation’s capital,
in every corner of the globe.
Why am I angry?
Because you are not listening to me,
because you keep talking shit,
because you hit back when people ignore you,
because you lie when you don’t get your way,
because you mock and bully when we tell you you’re wrong.
We will not stop speaking out,
marching on government high courts,
standing on the country’s cornerstones,
protecting the disadvantaged, the homeless, the abducted children,
showing you, we are not our mothers and grandmothers,
we will not shut up our voices.
Yes, I am angry
and I am silent no more.
© Catherine Woods 2018
