Everywoman (Poetry)

We cannot know the lives our sisters have
living as they do so far from here
their news is grim and shames the world to learn
the suffering endured — the constant fear

We lucky ones should count our blessings well
remind ourselves how trivial and small
our problems really are, for when compared
they don’t add up to very much at all

We can’t imagine just how bad it is
the violence and the longing to escape
existing day to day — no future planned
the dreadful, ever-present threat of rape

We take so much for granted as out right
and live such lives our sisters only dream
our sympathies aroused by urgent need
we post one more donation to the scheme

and hope the balance tips — promoting change
as sisters come together with one voice
defying cruel regimes until at last
all women have true freedom and real choice