<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sound Of Their Names</span><br><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> <i> for the Women of the 19th Amendment </i></span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Praise their grit and gospel, their glistening</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">brains, their minds on fire. Neurons, numbering the stars.</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Praise their bones. Their spines and skulls,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the axis, the atlas: I will not and I shall.</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Their mouths, praise. Ridged palates</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and smart muscular tongues, teeth, sound or pitted,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">their wit and will. Their nerve,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and founded within the body. Honor</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">now their wombs and hearts, biceps and blood,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">deep mines of the flesh where passion is tested.</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank all twenty-six bones of their feet,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">arches, heels, bunions, sweat,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">marching the streets in high buttoned boots. Praise</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the march. Praise justice.</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Though slow and clotted. </span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Their hands at the press. The grease and clatter,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">the smell of ink. Feel the sound</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">of their names in our mouths:</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Susan B. Anthony</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Elizabeth Cady Stanton</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Wilhelmina Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Praise their eyelids that close</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and give rest</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">at the end of each long day.</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Praise the work that goes on.</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Ellen Bass</span></div></body></html>