During last week’s debate, as I watched Hillary Clinton stand with quiet strength and dignity while her opponent barraged her with attacks, something clicked inside me.
I thought of all the times women have had to endure similar assaults. I recalled times I’ve endured them, including at the hands of men I was closest to. That’s when this palpable sense of a force rising inside me started welling up. It was almost physical, as though emanating from every cell of my body. It was a quickening of sorts.
In that moment, I knew something needed to be spoken. Something needed to be claimed. Something needed to be honored. Then came the phrase, “For every woman who has ever been demeaned by a man... ”
That’s when this poem was born.
For every woman who has ever been demeaned by a man,
For every woman who ever has been interrupted, ignored or spoken over,
For every woman who has ever been forced to smile nicely as a man insults her,
For every woman who has ever been discounted, debased and denied her place in life,
For every woman who has ever endured labels that attack her body and diminish her spirit,
For every woman who has ever been disdained for her intelligence, assertiveness or innate power,
For every woman who has ever censored herself so she doesn’t seem difficult or demanding,
For every woman who has ever been shamed into silence or shunned for speaking up,
For every woman who has been attacked by a man through word, action or innuendo,
For every woman who has ever worked twice as hard for less pay than the men around her,
For every woman who has ever been denied a job for which she is more qualified than the man it was given to,
For every woman who has borne a child then returned to work after 12 weeks of unpaid leave,
For every woman who works all day, then comes home to the job of caretaker, cook and homemaker.
For every woman who has been denigrated by those who would rather see her fail than succeed,
For every woman who has stood tall and spoken her truth – in spite of it all,
For every woman who fought for the rights of other women, and endured the hatred of those threatened by her courage,
For every woman who has managed to put another crack in the glass ceiling,
For every woman who came before us, on whose strong shoulders we stand,
For every little girl who looks to all of these women ― and finds her place to stand.
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