Sunday Reflections: The Lament of Losing RBG

The Teen was playing tennis when I heard the news
My first instinct was to text her and tell her
but I didn’t want to upset her
but I also didn’t want her to find out on social media
because this was something that we shared
our feminism, our prayers for RBG
the next day we talked about what it means to us
as women who didn’t have rights
until women like RBG helped us to fight for them
tears ran down my face as I talked about what she means
to history
to us
to me
I am alive to parent my children because she fought
for my right
to make my own medical decisions
and I made sure that my daughters understood that
the fight is never over
and when warriors put down their sword
it means others have to step in and pick it up
because the oppressors love nothing more
than to oppress
and women
have had to fight hard for a seat at the table
It’s not just abortion they are coming for
Birth control too
Our rights to control our bodies
To make our own decisions
About life and death
And health
They’re coming for our bodies
And as the mother of daughters
I am afraid
I have sat in churches where they have told me
that my daughters should be submissive to a man
and I have sat in board rooms where the only man in the room
rose to power
much faster than all the women at the table
and I’ve listened to our country praise a man
and declare him ordained by God
even as he talks about assaulting women
and locks the very babies they claim to care about
in cages as they rip out
their mothers wombs
and I understand what it means that this woman
this fierce Jewish woman
was chosen to sit on a bench
that determines the fate of millions of women
every day
and I feel the loss
stunning and fierce
real and raw
deep in my bones
and the fear of losing her
rips through my veins
and I lament
this loss of life
spectacular and meaningful
and shining bright
in a world that constantly seems barely able to hold back
the darkness
for our daughters
for our sisters
for our mothers and grandmothers
for our friends
for our neighbors
those that don’t look like us or love like us
or identify like us
for RBG
we must continue to be
the light
Editor’s Note: I like to write bad poetry. I mean, I wish it wasn’t bad, but it’s the best that I can do. So today, I grieve. And write bad poetry in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She earned her rest. She fought hard and valiantly. May she be at peace.
Filed under: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 32 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).
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