New Poem: "Pro-Life" + Other Poems on Reproductive Justice

"How loud do you have to be to put out a house fire with just your voice?"



Yeah, the title is in scare quotes. Hopefully that comes through. As I often do with two poems, I wanted to share a few notes on process, and then some poems by other writers that tackle the topic in different ways.

A Few Notes on Process
This is a poem about a specific issue, but it's also a poem that is exploring a couple different impulses:

• I'm really interested in how we, as artists and writers, respond to fascism. I've written about this before, but I think ONE thing to think about is the importance of saying something, even when that something isn't perfect or revelatory or magical. This isn't a perfect poem, haha. It isn't the most creative thing I've written. But it was important to me to stand up on a stage and say it, as soon as I had the opportunity. The poem might continue to get revised and people might catch a new draft at some point, but to me, the timeliness was more important than the timelessness.
• The poem is also the product of a lot of conversations I've had with activists, organizers and advocates who work on issues related to gender, feminism, and reproductive justice. The refrain is always "men (especially cis men) need to speak up more." That can seem super obvious, but it can be easy to forget when you're "in" that world; for me, I'm around powerful voices who speak out on these issues all the time- that's just my community. So I've often felt a pull to step back- which CAN be a healthy impulse! It can also, however, sometimes be an excuse to not do any work. It's like, yes, it's messed up that "men talking about being pro-choice" is still seen as bold or interesting- but that's not an excuse not to do it.
• I'm also really interested in multi-vocal responses, how no one poem has to be "definitive." Multiple poems can present different angles of an argument, different POVs, etc. There are some examples below, but this framework has helped me as a writer: a poem doesn't have to be all things to all people. A poem doesn't have to be the conversation; it can be one piece of a much larger conversation (and different pieces may be able to do different "work" for different audiences, in different contexts). That realization, for me, has been freeing.

I don't have a lot of faith in the power of poems to changes minds, especially about issues like abortion rights. That being said, poems can do so many other things. They can open up spaces for dialogue, they can provide useful frameworks or metaphors for understanding, they can contribute in ways both large and small to the ongoing push-and-pull of how the larger culture frames and understands complex issues, and they can plant seeds (while watering other seeds that have already been planted!)

More Poems and Resources on Reproductive Justice
This summer, I've been sharing my lists a lot: poems about white supremacy, poems about toxic masculinity, poems that have been useful to me in educational spaces. The idea is that hopefully, teachers and other educators can use these poems as entry points to dialogue.

A lot of those lists pull from this bigger list of spoken word poems organized by topic. I don't have a specific list of poems on reproductive justice yet, but this is as good a time as any to start one. If you know of others, please share in the comments! Here are a few:

• Lauren Zuniga - "To the Oklahoma Lawmakers"
• Elizabeth Acevedo - "An Open Letter to the Protesters Outside the Planned Parenthood"
• Belissa Escobedo and Rhiannon McGavin - "Our Line, This Time"
• Sonya Renee Taylor - "Evolve"
• Josh Healey - "Barbara and Esther"

Finally, these aren't poems, but if there's anyone for whom this is a new issue, or you'd just like to learn more, or get involved, a few links:

• Here's a quick video intro to reproductive justice via Race Forward
• Sister Song is an amazing organization, and here's a great intro to their work.
• SPARK is another organization with some good resources.
• Minnesota friends: be sure to check out and support UnRestrict MN, Our Justice, and Planned Parenthood MN.
• A previous post from my own site listing a bunch of ways to get involved in the struggle for reproductive justice: links, resources, and more.

Thank you! Please feel free to share. Full transcript:

New: A Playlist of 30 Poems I've Used in Classrooms

For teachers, student affairs folks, social justice activists, and beyond: this is a playlist of 30 poems that have been useful to me in classrooms, facilitated discussions, and other educational spaces.

It's not a list of the "best" poems ever, or the only poems about these various topics; but there is some really powerful work here, work that meaningfully engages with these issues and can serve as great entry points or dialogue-starters. If you're a teacher, another kind of educator, or just a person who understands the power of art, story, and conversation, I hope you find something to use here.

Of course, be sure to review the poems yourself first, since not every poem is going to be relevant or appropriate for every audience. Aside from these 30 poems, though, I hope people can fall down rabbit holes finding more work from these poets and these channels.

Additional lists and resources:

• Poems on white supremacy (recently updated)
• Poems on masculinity and violence
• Poems on rape culture and consent
• A list of 100+ poems on social justice issue, organized by topic.

Also wanted to share this piece that's been on my mind a lot this summer, as I get ready to hit the road again this fall: Towards an Antifascist Pedagogy by Guy Emerson Mount. A relevant quote for educators, poets, and everyone: "Following Davis and Robeson, the first rule of an anti-fascist pedagogy then is to refuse to continue with 'business as usual' and recognize that the anti-fascist battleground is everywhere."