Crickets chirp in the warm August night

My cat stretches across my lap

As I meditate deeply with all my might

To keep my vigorous blood from running out like sap

As men of might–and God forgive them–some women too

Resurrect old laws that would make all women

That old woman who lived in the shoe who

Had so many children she didn’t know what to do.

It sounds so sweet, all those millions of babies.

Not many stop to think–what cost?

The mothers’ lives maybe?  Is it true too…

We can all be good little Nazis following unholy laws to keep our jobs?

Never mind the raped 9 year old little girl, the miscarriage, the ectopic pregnancy–

Her infection now sepsis, her spiking fever.  Don’t touch her.  We’ll all be fired!

We hear about these deaths, and we see with clarity where we are.

We little miss nobodies, not even in charge of our own bodies.

Makes us just itch to light a fire.

Many thanks to good friend Ruth Reilly for sharing her firey torch song with us.