I am my mothers daughter
and her mothers child
whose mother heard once
of a mother who fought
with earth and master

Master over her body
she must fight
day in and out
to produce from the earth
for a master

Master over her body
she must lay in submission
day in and out
to produce from her womb
a son
to carry on
to become a master

Master over her mind
that she must silence
her thoughts
a vocabulary
not large enough to express
an opinion
she must not have
least it upset her master

Master over her mind
that she must silence
the cries of her mothers
that come to her
in ways she does not understand
from lands she will never see
silence these crys
for her will never understand
and that will upset her master

But SHE is master over her
soul
a soul that holds
a power unknown to any
master
a power that holds all the sorrow
the pain
the toil
the fight
the pride
the knowledge
a power that allows her to wake
and toil
day in and out
for a master undeserving
who gives nothing
and nothing she asks for in return
but she gives
and she takes in return the burden
of her people
and she holds on to it
a burden to be given
with the power

And she passes it
to her daughter
and her daughter's child
who had a daughter
who gave birth to a girl
who grew into a woman
and took on the power
and the burden of her people
silent no longer