Poem: Wendy Davis VS The World

Poetry
Written By Robyn Bateman

“the courtroom chanting
‘let her speak’”

Davis 6.27.13.jpg

WENDY DAVIS VS THE WORLD

i cried tonight
my heart stapled to a back brace
in a texas courtroom
heavy and dangling
at a senator's thigh

there was an afternoon
when i told my friend what had happened to me
so long ago
she cried across the table
one of those cries
too hard to be just for me
the type
of her own stirring
chest

her heart, too
holstered next to mine
the courtroom chanting
'let her speak'
as if she hadn't been already
the president tweeted his support
as if that matters

sometimes i feel as though the entire world
is a man
slapping down what we've strung up
we have so much to cry about

i can't believe she never cried
in those 13 hours
the hearts
one by one
plucked
like ripe fruit
from around her waist

the judge, a texan named bill,
tells her
they were not hers to keep

+ + +

Robyn Bateman

Robyn Bateman writes things and draws stuff in Portland, Oregon. Their biweekly comic series College was published by NAILED Magazine in the spring and summer of 2013. Robyn is now the author and illustrator of Failing Haus, an autobiographical comic chronicling the small and big events of life, shamelessly. Robyn is also the author of "Oh," a book of poetry exploring emotional trauma and recovery. They make books and other rare artifacts with Lovely Book Club, formerly Dimsummer, a small press dedicated to never meeting deadlines.

Previous

The Violence Given Me by Johnny No Bueno
Next

Songs of the Week #11- Editors Pick