Women, Come: a Poem

They said build a wall
when what they meant was
let’s rip off the additions
to this building
so that it stands erect
and makes us feel like men

Strip away the protections
for the poor
kick the same-sex sinners
to the curb
sequester the accented
and the abortion lovers
to the alleyways

Let those lame suckers duke it out
while we remake
the world
in our image
as it was
in the
beginning

They said we will stop
at nothing
stop
means
nothing
we will rip off your dress
we will rip off your elders
we will rip off the unborn
babies
we claim
to care so much about

And in these halls
we will fill our back pockets
with back room deals
slip out the back door
while you bitches bang
on the two front doors
whining
about bodies
wah wah wah

We will take with us
the money
the food
the car
and
make your life a living hell

What they forgot:
their mothers
the wombs that fed them
the canals they traveled
into the light of day
that greeted them like
pale princes
destined
for the throne

What they forgot:
in the beginning
before there was Adam
there was a great void
darkness before light
and a woman
Lilith
who said, Nah
and flew away

What they forgot:
we hold the keys
we are up in the night
making maps and plans
sharpening our knives
no longer caring
how we look
in the mirror

Women
come
listen to me closely
it is not your fault
it is not your fault
it is not your fault

Women
come
listen to your sister
whose cells remember
chains and darkness

Women
come
listen to your daughter
who was born singing
a new song