Forward Motion

by Renee Cronley
 
 
they took steps to retire archaic narratives 
reducing their existence to personal property
demure dames donning gloves and holding fans
corsets and legislative chastity belts worn tight
by fashion, by design—but ill-suited for combat 
 
with stakes higher than the battle of the ballot
ladies lacing leather boots marched as matriarchs   
demanding democratic birthright
violating social norms with reforms
 
governments exploited feminine status
keeping demonstrations submissive and silent 
debating suffrage bills but never passing them
threading the needle to cease ‘ladylike’ tactics 
then stitching them as irrational and illogical
 
inhumanly imprisoned and grisly forced-fed
denied designation as political prisoners 
cruelly satirized and shamed by the press
to weaken resolve with psychological duress
 
they trudged through hassles and heckles
iron-willed but soaked to their socks 
in a downpour of institutional misogyny
arousing passionate dialogue with activism
breaking barriers and fighting for freedom


* * * * *

Renee Cronley is a writer from Manitoba. She studied psychology and English at Brandon University and nursing at Assiniboine Community College. Having stepped away from nursing to prioritize her children, she has been channeling her knowledge and experiences into a poetry book about nursing burnout. Her work appears in Chestnut Review, Off Topic, Love Letters to Poe, Weird Little Worlds, Black Spot Books, and several other anthologies and literary magazines.  
Renee can be found at https://www.reneecronley.com/