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