Foremothers

I sing for you

for you, my grandmother

and your mother

and her mother

and her mother

and her mother

and her mother

I sing for you

I sing with you

I sing you

your hot blood is bursting in my veins

your unshed tears run down my face

your sweat and muscle made my way

I am walking down the path that you fought to lay

in front of me

I play the electric guitar for you

for you, my grandmother

and your mother

and her mother

and her mother

and her mother

and her mother

I play the electric guitar for you

I strike a chord

I make the world explode

I play and I know

you broke your back and your bones

for me to be here

for me to breathe here

for me to laugh and eat and love and sleep and be loud

and throw up if I need to

I am here now and I need you

you are here now

you’re in the past

you’re in the future

you’re in the warmth

of my uterus

I am an exploding lily and I want to live so badly

I want to live so badly

I want to live so badly

You, you survived the plague

poverty, famine, cold winters, rape

You lived through kings, lords and lunatic preachers

hate, shame, the persecution of witches

Some of you died in childbirth

yet you passed on your sons and daughters

I salute you, you brave warriors!

I am here because of you

I am here because of you

I am here because of you

I am here because of you

mother of my mother of my mother of my mother

don’t ever think

that I’ve forgotten you