A Poem and a PSA for International Women's Day

The Laughter of Women by Lisel Mueller from Alive Together:  New and Selected Poems (Louisiana State University Press)

The laughter of women sets fire
to the Halls of Injustice
and the false evidence burns
to a beautiful white lightness

It rattles the Chambers of Congress
and forces the windows wide open
so the fatuous speeches can fly out

The laughter of women wipes the mist
from the spectacles of the old;
it infects them with a happy flu
and they laugh as if they were young again

Prisoners held in underground cells
imagine that they see daylight
when they remember the laughter of women

It runs across water that divides,
and reconciles two unfriendly shores
like flares that signal the news to each other

What a language it is, the laughter of women,
high-flying and subversive.
Long before law and scripture
we heard the laughter, we understood freedom.

I returned home late last night from a retreat at the beach where there was a lot of laughter of women but that's not the reason I chose this poem for today.  Today is International Women's Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women while at the same time recognizing how many of our sisters around the world are still struggling to ensure the most basic human rights. 

It wasn't really all that long ago that women in the US were battling for their rights.  I found it really interesting after the inauguration in January that a lot of my Facebook friends-- gay men and people of color-- were lauding the "from Selma to Stonewall" line from the president's speech but leaving out the part about Seneca Falls.  And it wasn't just my friends on Facebook, I heard the media doing it as well.  I realized in talking with some people of various ages and backgrounds that it wasn't an intentional slight on most people's part.  Many had just never heard of Seneca Falls and had no point of reference so they simply left it out of the quote. 

So if you haven't heard about Seneca Falls, you can read about it here.  And if you're ever in the DC area and want to explore the history of women's progress towards equality, I highly recommend a visit to the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum. 

Okay, that's the end of my public service announcement for the day.  I'm off to laugh in honor of all the women who have laughed before me.