Is she our sister?

by Pat Parker reprinted with permission from Movement in Black Canadian University Press

there is a woman in this town

she goes to different bars

sits in the remotest place watches the other people

drinks til 2 & goes home - alone

some say she is lonely some say she is an agent none of us speak to her

Is she our sister?

there is a woman in this town she lives with her husband she raises her children

she says she is happy

& is not a women’s libber

some say she is mis-guided some say she is an enemy

none of us know her

Is she our sister?

there is a woman in this town? she carries a lot of weight

her flesh triples on her frame she comes to all the dances dances a lot; goes home - alone Some say she’s a lot of fun Some say she is too fat

none of us have loved her

Is she our sister?

there is a woman in this town she owns her own business

she goes to work in the day

she goes home at night

she does not come to the dances Some say she is a capitalist Some say she has no consciousness hone of us trust her

Is she our sister?

there is a woman in this town

she comes to all the parties

wears the latest men’s fashions calls the women mama & invites them to her home

some say she’s into roles some say she hates herself none of us go out with her

Is she our sister? there is a woman in this town

she was locked up

she comes to many meetings she volunteers for everything she cries when she gets upset

some say she makes them nervous some say she’s too pushy none of us invite her home

Is she our sister?

there is a woman in this town

she fills her vein with dope

goes from house to house to sleep

borrows money wherever she can she pays it back if she must

some say she is a thief some say she drains their energy none of us trust her

Is she our sister?

once upon a time, there was a dream a dream of women. a dream of women coming together and turning the world around, turning the world around and making it over a dream of women, all women being sisters. a dream of caring; a dream of protection, a dream of peace.

once upon a time, there was a dream

a dream of women. for the women who rejected the dream; there had only been a reassurance. for the women who believed the dream - there is dying, women, sisters dying

once upon a time there was a dream, a

dream of women turning the world all over and it still lives- : it lives for those who would be sisters

it lives for those who need a sister it lives for those who once upon a time had a dream. @

BARTENDING COURSE

KIRKWOOD MOTEL March 10 & 11 6:30 - 11:00 Cost: $150

13