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