#HerStory

it was the year of woman
womyn, womon, womban,
wimmin, women, trans-woman –
who marched in january
against the ruling power;
made everyday a women’s day
to set the bar even higher;
took one step forward
and no step backward,
whose ferocity unstoppable
made the power uncomfortable.

who spoke out fearlessly, endlessly
for the sisters of kashmir –
shehla rashid
for the mothers of manipur –
teresa rehman
for the fighters of palestine –
linda sarsour
protesting till last breath –
heather heyer
with lists that emboldened –
raya sarkar
with #metoo that strengthened –
tarana burke
together they fought for
the anti-fascists everywhere.
while bullied online
while marching for peace
martyred in charlottesville
and erica garner,
who gave up life at twenty-seven
fighting the systems that kill.
fights that shook foundation
of white house, hollywood nation
whose premonition was early on
a capitalistic contradiction
on the face of male denial
and many a justification. 

yet the task is only half-done
pricey is freedom of expression.
until the working class women,
who still are waiting to be heard,
let alone seen, in this
fermenting revolution;
when they get to win
the means of communication,
them that are not on twitters
weary, exhausted workers,
marching, one May Day, at a time
to end all exploitations;
#themtoo will be seen
rise in solidarity
and march in unison;
here’s to them –
to bring to us, the victorious
twenty-eighteen lesson!

- Saswat Pattanayak
New York, January 1, 2018