to the women who came before me
to the mamas that safeguarded us in their wombs for months
to the mamas that walked miles and miles in search of water during drought
to the women that got married too young
too afraid
to the women that got married in old age after a lifetime spent in solitude
to women too afraid to say no
to women who said no anyways
to quiet, unspoken resistance
to revolution when it is loud and in your face and unapologetic
to mucooyo who knocked out four of caamir’s teeth when he raised his hand to hit her
left his mouth bloody and empty so he would think of her everytime he ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth
to the women who warmed beds they didn’t want to sleep in
to the women who loved before me
to the women who loved me
to the women who’ve known loss and heartache
to women that watched their men kill and be killed
to the women who sweat in the sun looking for work
to all the women who work
whose work is unseen and unpaid
to the women who washed clothes under the fiery sun
who hung clothes on clotheslines to dry
watched over it so it wouldn’t be stolen
to the women who held their breasts to young mouths
who pray for milk and honey who have known peace
who have not known peace
who dream of peace
nabad iyo caano
to the countless women who have raised me
sheltered me
prayed for me
fed me
clothed me
taught me
who have crossed oceans to carry me out of war
who have cleaned up the blood of our country
who write poems
who live poems
who build and rebuild
and breathe
and live
and resist
and resist
and resist
who taught me to resist
whose bodies are bridges
whose backs are bridges
who have carried the weight of worlds
and words
spoken
and unspoken
so that i may speak
so that i may live
so that i may dream
and fight
i love you
i honor you
i carry your struggles in my heart
i carry you all in my heart

visit the author of this poem at http://nomadmanifesto.tumblr.com/