Janet Fricke Combs

“Mary Poppins” introduced me to
The suffragettes when I was five years old.
But they were cast a bit like crazies who
Neglected their own children. It foretold
The issues women faced. We face them still.
Since 1913, our collective voice
Has risen to a pitch that some call shrill
In their attempts to quell the quest for choice.
But step by step, our footfalls will resound
With purpose, all across this fractured nation:
Freedoms, once attained, must not rebound
With one election or administration.
I won’t succumb to hate or bitter fears;
Hope’s the cadence marching in my ears.