Smash, Build, Rise
By Chelsie Zuccollo
I’m no architect, but I can lift a bag of cement.
Smash the patriarchy, then build something better.
I’m no contractor, but I can see the possibilities.
Don’t break the glass ceiling—redesign the roof.
I’m no lawyer, but I use my voice for others.
Pay me the same as a man; it’s overdue justice.
I’m no tour guide, but I know how to manage an itinerary.
Feminism is fragile. Don’t leave anyone behind.
I’m no soldier, but I know when to raise my rifle.
This body is mine, not your front line or a combat zone.
I’m no astronomer, but I can use a telescope.
Use your voice as a constellation to light up the dark.
I’m no politician, but I know how to debate.
My consent is not a negotiation.
I’m no firefighter, but I extinguish forest fires every day.
Freedom tastes like fire on my lips.
I’m no seamstress, but I can thread a needle.
We stitch power into every wound we wear.
I’m no poet, but my words rise and reclaim.
The body is a poem; the mind is a riot.
Chelsie Zuccollo serves as an Assistant Professor of English, Interdisciplinary Studies Program Director, and Writing Center Director at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. With an interest in performative gender studies, she hosts an annual event for her community: Voices of Feminism. This event showcases the work of local feminists, poetry, and art.
Photo credit: Rise Up by Patrick Emerson via a Creative Commons license.
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