Bracelets

This is to all the strong women inhabiting my memory:

to mothers who whispered lullabies to their daughters about how they should grow up

to be storytellers and tell about lost histories

who closed their eyes and held tiny soft hands outstretched

and drew geometric lines, solved equations with permanent ink

and dreamt about routes to time travel

to wipe the sweat beads from the downtrodden

to chant in revolutions

their voices shrill, high

their tongues remarkable

who stomp the graceful ankle bracelets and signal

that when they are present

life begins, harsh winters flee

from their determined gazes

This is to all the women who taught me how to love

they’ve loved old buildings and manuscripts

preserved them with their souls

then stayed up on the smell of tear gas

fueled by a desire to preserve

To the women who heal

to the ones who are experts at constructing

passageways and connections

so we won’t be lost in wordlessness

To the ones with endless movements

who can’t sit still at the end of nights

but count breathlessly

the time the light emerges

because her heart beats faster with rays of beginnings

To all the women who smoothed frowns

when the voices of patriarchy loomed

and dismantle old systems

directed by listening to resonating voices

knowing their struggle is timeless

and yet their fiery deep eyes glint

shining, fighting, fierce with the knowledge that

they are leaders, innovators, inventors

the site of meaning

The life source itself

The tongue which ends the silence