By Dinae Anderson
I am the daughter
Of the slaves, the workers
The woman, the mother
I have been the daughter of chains and I shall break the cycle today
The woman, the mother
I have been the daughter of chains and I shall break the cycle today
I can go on and on
About the oppressor’s wrong
And the pigs that kill my brothers
That brings tears of sadness to our mothers
About the oppressor’s wrong
And the pigs that kill my brothers
That brings tears of sadness to our mothers
Yet
I wake up in the morning
Basking revolution in my heart
Even when I see the chains of low wage labor
I wake up in the morning
Basking revolution in my heart
Even when I see the chains of low wage labor
and silenced anger
spreading into deep oceans of the masses
The bosses like to tear our class apart
Their hypocrisy and slanderous hearts
cutting into our pride
Leaving us left in the isolation and poverty in a world of capitalistic concoctions
They are the ones who keep us in chains
The ones that try to control my body and leave insane
Their hypocrisy and slanderous hearts
cutting into our pride
Leaving us left in the isolation and poverty in a world of capitalistic concoctions
They are the ones who keep us in chains
The ones that try to control my body and leave insane
Sometimes I feel like as a woman I can’t live this way
I look in the mirror
And see battle scars too deep, scars that have been on my skin for far too long
I get to my eyes and I am able to see that, as a woman
I look in the mirror
And see battle scars too deep, scars that have been on my skin for far too long
I get to my eyes and I am able to see that, as a woman
I am strong
the light in my pupils have stayed alive
the light in my pupils have stayed alive
For the struggle for our liberation never dies
I know it continues and I celebrate with all of you
Because sing of freedom and
I march and dance in its blood
It soaks on my combat boots and skirt
I know it continues and I celebrate with all of you
Because sing of freedom and
I march and dance in its blood
It soaks on my combat boots and skirt
And I am ready for war because
We have nothing to lose but our chains![iwwd]()
And with revolution in
Our hearts, our bodies, and souls
We have nothing to lose but our chains
And with revolution in
Our hearts, our bodies, and souls
We’ll break, destroy, and eradicate those chains
So that some day soon
When the world is strong
My daughters will be
The ones who keeps
Revolution beaming on.
When the world is strong
My daughters will be
The ones who keeps
Revolution beaming on.
The author is an activist with the New York City branch of Workers World Party and wrote and performed this poem for a rally with the International Working Women’s Day Coalition.
