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How Long
By Mirabelle Soufer
A world of envy, sadness, anger and dark
hope, home, joy, and love
where secrets often hide in plain sight
a place
Reality
Everyone has dark and light
in their souls held so tight
where everyone deserves their rights
But in reality
there are things
not everybody knows
like voices
hiding
in the shadows
How long
How long must we wait for liberty?
We clean
We cook
We do your chores
We shine everything that is yours
and all we get is grief
and nothing more than that
when we find any ounce of cheer
you twist it into fear
We cannot vote
We cannot get a say
or choose our future in any way
You say
we are
yours
you make us believe it
You shame us
You choke us
You break us
You beat us
We say
you shall stop
we deserve our rights,
for we are all people
and that is what’s right
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
-Ida B Wells
Susan B Anthony
Lucy Stone
Lucretia Mott
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
We put in our ballots
We hold up our signs
You throw us in jail
as we put our lives on the line
Inez Millholland
rode in on a white horse so tall
We are our own saviors for one and for all
With gleaming eyes
and a golden crown
enough to make
the stars bow down
Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?
Ida B Wells
Mary Church Terrell
Nannie Helen Burroughs
Mary Burnett Talbert
persevered through the hatred
We are people too
At the march on Washington
you said go to the back
but we are not fighting on a parallel track
Alice Paul
Lucy Burns
proud leaders of the Silent Sentinels
2,000 strong
picketing and protesting
for women
for the vote
November 14, 1917
The Night of Terror
all lost
in the abyss
of that cold dark cell
chained up
to the bars
unbearable things
unspeakable threats
enough to fill the ocean
oh the tears that were shed
How long
How long must we wait for liberty?
From ocean to ocean
from sea to sea
for purple mountain majesties,
for all those seeking to be free
Listen to their whispered pleas
they cannot wait for liberty!
For women are people
no different
from you
you see
and if people
deserve their rights
than so
should her
and she.
Meet the Poet – Mirabelle Soufer
Mirabelle Soufer is a 10-year-old fourth grade student at the Bright School in Chattanooga. She developed an early interest in poetry, and last year won a medal for her poem “Good Grief” in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Young Southern Student Writers contest.
In addition to poetry, Mirabelle enjoys writing prose, painting, drawing, and exploring other visual arts. She is an avid reader and a member of the Bright School’s Track and Field team. Mirabelle was also selected to serve on the school’s C.A.R.E.S. Council, which focuses on fostering a culture of caring, kindness, and mutual respect.
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