Suffragist

by Sandra M.
WriteGirl Mentee, age 16

suffragist

defiant fists

and swirling skirts

two items juxtaposed

some thought them strange comrades

some thought women should be “demure” or “obedient”

they were called suffragists

for the way they fought

to have a say in the country they lived in

but perhaps it is because of the suffering

they endured: cruel words,

mocking condescension

“Men, their rights, and nothing more

“Women, their rights, and nothing less,”

said Susan B. Anthony

yet every step we take towards equality

feels like the tugging of a stubborn mule–

whose hooves try to crush us like men’s opposition

but we prevail

we fight

we cast our ballot with the taste of victory bitter-bright in our mouths

but just because we walk

with our heads tall

doesn’t excuse the fact

that you catcall

it’s not that we are petty:

it is because we are frustrated

about the 22 cents stolen from us,

the stereotypes forced upon us,

the flyaway comments on our appearance.

we fight not just for the vote

we are all

still

suffragists