International Women’s Day was March 8. Sherry Ansloos wrote the following poem.
To introduce her poem, Sherry writes, “In honor of women who have inspired, I want to post this poem. It gives a voice to the murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada. It commemorates Helen Betty Osborne, a Cree women who was murdered in 1971. Her voice for women’s rights was not silenced.”
Swan Song
Helen Betty Osbourne you left us too soon
To dance away pain with the woman on the moon
With glitter and stardust, you move and you sway
With tears and with sorrow we remember today.
Though cold be the ground where your young blood was spilt
And sullied the process of finding justice and guilt
Though racism, sexism and indifference was rife
Dancing its dirge on the edge of that knife
Your death shone a light on the wickedness of man
More dark than the skin on your indigenous hand
Innocent be your heart as you move free tonight
Watching over your sisters who fight for their rights
So every young woman can speak and be heard
That no is a word that can never be blurred
And take back their bodies as sacred with awe
Ending the violence for the women called squaw
Moon sister you thought that your cries were not heard
That your voice returned void without power in your words
But we heard your voice sing how you suffered this wrong
Women’s rights will remain your unyielding swan song