March 2026 is Women’s History Month. When women choose to get involved in the process of community building, they typically join forces with men and collaborate in various ways. They organize events, educate people, start community projects, or just change the room’s atmosphere with their kindness and wisdom.
This month at Open Write, we will honor community building women–in our family, in our literature, and in the news, by crafting poems to express our thoughts and creativity about our chosen woman. Today, we will focus on a woman in the news.
Our Host
Anna J. Small Roseboro, a wife and mother, is a distinguished educator, mentor, and author with a career spanning more than five decades. She holds a Master of Arts in Curriculum Design, and a Bachelor’s in Speech Communications. As a National Board-Certified Teacher and National Writing Project Fellow, Anna has helped shape the lives of students and educators alike through her roles in schools, universities, and professional organizations in the five states where she has lived and worked. Anna has written extensively to support teachers and students. Her publications include our Ethical ELA team publication Assessing Students with Poetry Writing Across Content Areas (2026); Empowering Learners: Teaching Different Genres and Texts to Diverse Student Bodies (2023); and Planning and Purpose: A Handbook for New College Classroom Teachers (2021).
Inspiration
During Women’s History Month, we often focus on women of the past. Let’s not do it this time. Consider contemporary women who are not members of our family or in the texts we’ve taught. Who has been in the news this past calendar year – local, state, national, or international news, that you think our readers should know about. This may be a complimentary or critical portrayal of this person.
Process
Let’s write a nonet today. That’s a nine poem that uses one more or less word or syllable per line, starting with one word, or nine words and using one more or one less word per line. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, or 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. Some writers like the 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1. pattern. Your choice. Just help us see what you see, what you hear, and sense what you feel when you consider the role of this woman’s action on the local, state, national, or international scene.
Since your chosen contemporary woman may be an unfamiliar person, include what you can for us to get to know the woman just from the carefully chosen words you use in your nonet about a woman who has been in the news this past year. Feel free to use contemporary jargon, slang, language, or text talk. Yes, in the closing line I doubled up with homonyms and homophones, acronyms and and homographs. What will you do in this tight poetic style?
Anna’s Poem of Acknowledgment
Kamala
You ran
But didn’t win
Didn’t win the election
But gained much citizen affection
Jumping on the blue ticket late
Getting messages out right at the gate
Your honest spreading of the word was heard
But not enough folks had the chutz·pah to vote
For person of note. We’re clumped in DIE herd.
(Did you get it? Diehards! Herds seeking diversity, inclusion, and equity.)
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers.
Taylor
Speak Now
childhoods spent singing
Teardrops On My Guitar
turning eras into platinum records
You Belong With Me
Shake It Off
growing up
Swift
Maybe I’ll be an Olympic Woman, Too, One Day
by Amber Harrison
i
am a
desert tortoise
r e c o v e r i n g
(i don’t know the news)
yet, paced to see
all. the. moms.
holding
gold
Amber! I enjoyed reading your poem! Your use of white space is intriguing!
mid March and the first
motorboat appears, shocking
me from winter’s sleep
i’m enjoying the use of the m-sound in this march poem…it almost makes the weather feel warmer
Anna, thank you so much for these three days to honor women with poetry. Thank you for your poem today. I continue to imagine what the world would’ve been like if she been able to win the election.
A Nonet For Representative Jasmine Crockett
Rep
Jasmine
Crockett holds
Accountable
Racist congressmen
And she will not back down
Fearless, bold, woman leading
In a red state where hate prevails
Crockett will find a way to block it
©Stacey L. Joy, 3/23/26
Thank you for crafting and sharing this poem about Jasmine Crockett with us, Stacey! I love the line “And she will not back down”!
Crockett and block is wonderful! Well done.
We were thinking similar things–I focused on Ilhan Omar! I love the focus on holding folks to accountability and leading with fearlessness.
Anna–Thank you for your focus and your poems this week! I started out trying to count…something. Finally just threw some words out and hoped they were close!
AOC
Alexandria
Ocasio Cortez.
Youngest woman ever
Congress didn’t expect her.
They didn’t know what hit them.
Grassroots campaign from the bar she tended.
Five feet, four inches of formidable power.
Intelligent, progressive, outspoken force of nature.
A woman for our women, a woman for all of us.
We need more AOC’s in our world.
Please.
Gayle Sands
Great, getting to know or expand our knowledge of yet another contemporary female! Thanks, Gayle. Some are making it!
Gayle, She is indeed a force of the future and a strong woman who does not back down. In the NY area, she represents what many of us hope will be the future.
She and Jasmine Crockett are ready for them all!! Excellent choice! I didn’t realize she was so short.
Thank you for hosting the women-themed open writes three days in a row, Anna! When I read this prompt, I knew right away who I was going to present with my poem. I again turn to Louisiana prominent woman, who is literally in the news almost every day.
It’s Good to be Home
Robin Roberts, proud Louisianan
Favorite ABC news anchor
Famous Southeastern graduate
Came to cut the green ribbon
For the grand opening
Of new Broadcast and
Media Hall
That is named
After
Her
I couldn’t attach a picture to my post, so I am trying again here.
Leilya–your title is perfect! An educational poem for me…
We got it. Thanks for taking time to make the extra step!
Leilya, this is a wonderful choice of a strong woman who has impacted many lives with her athletic prowess, strong journalism skills, and bravery in the face of adversity. I have some memories of her going back to her hometown and recording her visit after Hurricane Katrina. It was a tear jerking visit. She continues to be a model of a cancer survivor who inspires us all.
Leilya, I have always loved watching Robin! I had no idea she was from Louisiana, and what a treat that she visited for the ribbon cutting.
She was born in Mississippi, but became Louisianan after she began her college life at Southeastern.
Leilya, what a perfect person for today’s “woman in the news” poem! I love that she’s a Southeastern grad, and that you wrote about her. The photo with the signs shows all the respect and love. I love your title! I’m wondering if it is something she said in her remarks.
Hi, Denise, Robin helped us to raise money to renovate our Department building after we lost it to Hurricane Ida in 2021. The title came from the poster we made for her to welcome to a new building. We all wrote a little something and signed. This particular note was left by our Department Head.
I LOVE HER! Thank you for sharing this special moment! I would be in awe to be in her presence.
Leilya, I loved reading your poem about Robin! I love that you wrote something that stood out to you and someone who made a difference in her community!
Anna,
Thanks so much for hosting this month. I’ve loved the focus on women!
Your lines capture Kamala’s energy and positivity:
Sadly they also capture her loss, our country’s loss:
——————————————————————————
The Menace
Fetus
The Menace
Certified Ball Hawk
Lady Longhorn point guard
Played her last home game
Crowd cheered her off the court
Then long laughing hug with her coach
Only division I player with over 1,500 points
900 plus assists, 600 plus rebounds, 350 plus steals
Now it’s on to Sweet Sixteen, hopefully championship
Came back stronger, more eager after ACL surgery
Just wanted to play with her teammates
Holds team accountable, high standards
Already earning her master’s degree
Mentored freshman while injured
“She’s our glue”
Rori Harmon
Leader
Thank you, Sharon, for introducing me to Rori Harmon, who I didn’t know, but your double nonet paints such a vivid portrait of Lady Longhorn that I feel her presence. I love how the first stanza stacks those impressive stats like a rising drumroll, then shifts into the more intimate imagery of resilience and leadership. The “long laughing hug” and “she’s our glue” lines add real emotional texture. This is a warm, skillful tribute that balances athletic achievement with human depth.
Sharon, thanks for sharing about Rori! What a great way to celebrate an athlete!
What a great choice for your poem today. I know you are a Longhorn fan, and I loved learning about this Lady Longhorn. I love the “long laughing hug with her coach” in your poem. And the “She’s our glue” – What a compliment!
Sharon, I caught mention of Rori Harmon at some point in the news recently; however, you have brought her bravery and tenacity to life in this wonderful tribute. She is a strong woman who is also a good student and the glue to her team. She is a model for all youth in sports.
We thank all who already have contributed by posting poems and or comments as we celebrated the women in our families, women writers who have been banned and contemporary women who are speaking up and speaking out on various social, political, and educational policy issues important to you.
I plan to return later to view additional input from those in other time zones who in the middle of their workdays.
mom
you stayed
when dad couldn’t
you stuck it out
you didn’t ask for this
but still, you have showed up
when we could not understand his actions
you told us we weren’t the reason why
he chose a permanent solution to his temporary problem
though you wept alone with your door closed
we never feared that you’d leave too
the title dad will never fill
but you have done well
lifting us all up
while struggling yourself
you’re strong,
mom
A lovely tribute. Consider sharing this on Mother’s Day or at an interim event. You probably have captured in this poem the feelings of others who’ll be glad to co-sign a card you print out or prepare a choral reading to present out loud.
Your poem holds much love; “you stayed” carries everything—what a powerful way to honor a mother’s quiet, enduring strength.
this is lovely ~ and and absolute proof that there are so many nameless heroes among us, so many women who showed up…
Thank you, A H, for sharing your wonderful, strong, caring, reliable, and always present Mom with us.
Oh, AH, what a tribute and heartfelt poem about a dear mom. Thank you for sharing it with us. I’m sure she would love to read this.
A beautiful tribute to a strong woman. These lines:
“but you have done well
lifting us all up
while struggling yourself”
An honor…
A touching tribute loaded with tender words. I can feel this. Thank you for sharing, A H.
AH, this is a raw but powerful statement to a mom who held it all together in spite of a difficult situation. She did what a strong woman does and that is push back the tide of losses. She stayed.
A H,
Whew! This is powerful and loving. I imagine there are many of us here who can relate from both the mom and child’s perspective! I can relate to both. Thank you! Your mom deserves to know she’s a Shero in my heart!
Oh! This just about has me in tears. When I think of women, I often think of my capacity to provide a good life for my sons…without help from their dad. I so, so, so hope they feel this way that you do. I’m not in the news, so I didn’t want to write about this, but almost wrote a poem from the mom’s perspective of your poem. Thank you for sharing this. “You’re strong” holds so much love.
What a wonderful tribute to your mother! You convey her strength and sacrifice well!
I just read a sad news blotter, so I have to try another:
shot
behind
her door. Now
“charges dismissed”.
Breonna Taylor
not yet getting justice
six years later, Feds push for
another silencing, sweep and
hide the whole rug again and again…
Oh, my gosh, so true. So much silencing and sweeping under the rug. Thank you for speaking up. We need accountability and justice. We can do this.
This hits hard—“charges dismissed” echoes like a wound that won’t close; your poem insists we keep witnessing what others try to erase. Poetry is here for you/us to respond in ways that are not sufficient but do offer, acknowledge the white space and fragments to honor our human reactions and incompleteness.
Luke,
Thank you for witnessing this continued injustice.
Luke, “charges dismissed” is a slap in the face when we encounter injustice. I am grateful for you raising voice to warn us about “another silencing, sweep and hide.” Thank you!
Luke–I agree with your poem. So wrong. The rug keeps getting larger…
Luke, thank you for the sad reminder of this continued injustice. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes feeling like I need to do more….
Anna, thank you for another great prompt. I like the reminder that Kamala, though came in late, got “messages out right at the gate”. I’m sad every time I think of what we could have had…
Rocío Boheli Mokara–
legally seeking asylum,
tortured in her regime. Now
arrested and jailed in
ours. ‘Merica, where
they don’t really
mean it when
they say,
“You
must
come here
legally.”
(Gaslighting from
our corrupt regime.)
So many are being
abused, we can’t know them all,
but you can know and say her name–
Rocío Boheli Mokara
You can read more of Rocío’s story here: https://z1077fm.com/asylum-seeker-continues-to-navigate-legal-immigration-process-with-support-from-some-residents-in-the-morongo-basin/
Denise,
Your line “you can know and say her name” lingers—thank you for humanizing Rocío and exposing the cruel contradiction at the heart.
And I can’t unhear the ‘merica voice that pronounced it, the man’s voice echoes for me there. I hear the cruelty and don’t want to claim that truth. Sitting with it.
Sarah
Denise,
Thank you for bearing witness to this heartbreaking travesty of justice. Thank you for the link as well.
This hurts to read:
Denise, I think of her often – and what a story! I’m so sad that this happened this way. I am grateful that you keep us up to date on what is happening with her.
Denise, thank you for bringing up Rocio’s story. I am, too, fed up with hypocrisy of this regime. Your ending stays with me today as a reminder of cruelty and injustice:
“So many are being
abused, we can’t know them all,
but you can know and say her name–
Rocío Boheli Mokara”
‘Merica, where
they don’t really
mean it when
they say,
“You
must
come here
legally.”
I am so sad for us in these times. Thank you for saying her name and her story.
Denise, I thought/hoped your might share her tale as a bit of a (sadly) poster woman for what our government is doing to so many that supposedly are criminals because they want to work. This is sad and her story needs to reach a broad audience as she is NOT alone.
Dr. Katie Bouman
helped
capture
for all the
world to see the
first-ever image
of a black hole, a sight
heretofore hidden to us.
Thank you for opening our eyes
and minds to this light-bending vision.
_______________________________________
Thanks, again, Anna, for these wonderful prompts this month!
Scott, I’ve enjoyed learning about so many amazing women. I like the play of hidden and opening in your poem today. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, I’m learning about a lot of women I’ve never heard of. I like the opening of our eyes to something hidden. That is such important work of education, and I am here for it. May we win the battle for our country’s mind with more education and understanding of the world from people like Dr. Katie Bouman.
Scott,
I love how “opening our eyes” connects science to wonder—you honor Katie Bouman with such clarity and gratitude.
Sarah
Scott, I had to look up Dr. Katie Bouman. Her achievement is so impressive, and she is so young. I am going to follow her now to see the other wonders she may bring to us. Thank you!
Scott–I am learning so much this week! I will follow up on this talented woman!
Scott, this is certainly someone who “opened our eyes” literally and figuratively to the vast beyond that was sitting waiting for her to help “capture” what we had not yet known. Amazing
Getatelli & Balie
Little throwaways of Siena lived in Santa Maria della
Scala; pens scribed names, dates of abandonment: future
unions; from rural places came women, wet
nurses drying cries, rocking infant hearts—
family semblances, attachment bonds, survival;
frescos carry mercy work—
social care echoes
beyond medicine:
Pellegrinaio.
Learn more about the History of Santa Maria della Scala and the wet nurses here: https://www.visitsiena.it/en/santa-maria-della-scala-in-siena/
Sarah, I am learning so much today! I’m struck by the descriptions – little throwaways, abandonment, family semblances. Women are gatherers, connectors, builders of community and strength. Is this a place you visited on your sabbatical?
Beautiful ~ though the words throwaways and wet nurses drying cries, pained me to read —you have planted a seed in my heart and I long to learn more!
Sarah, I am drawn to your line: frescos carry mercy work and am visualizing various ways these might be created, preserved, and shared. Thank you for bringing this to our attention today.
How wonderful to write a poem to these abandoned women and children who found a place of comfort in the Santa Maria della Scala. I’m learning so very much today. Is this a place you have visited in your travels, perhaps?
Sarah, what a thoughtful poem based the history of Santa Maria Della Scala. I like the imagery of “wet nurses drying cries” and “rocking infant hearts,” and your word choices are so precise and intentional. You crafted a piece that honors the place and the people. I had to follow your link to learn more about both and then dig a bit further.
Wow, Sarah, I’ve been off reading about the museum/orphanage on several webpages. Now that I know more, the images in your poem are so heartrending. “little throwaways” “wet nurses drying cries” “family semblances.” I’m curious about the title.
I immediately read the history of Santa Maria della Scala in the link. Your poem brings the women and children to life. “Social care echoes beyond medicine”. Words for thought. I will come back to them.
Sarah, as I read through your poem and followed the link to learn the background story, I find myself in awe of the power of strong women to change whatever they can wherever they are. The word “throwaways” is strong and powerful bringing an image of tossing a life away without a heroine. Powerful. I need to learn more.
Wow! What your year has done for your writing, your perspectives, your experiences that can be shared with others. This is powerful. Thank you for being you.
Thank you again for thoughtful hosting. You have really helped us honor women! Kamala certainly got her messages out right at the gate— if only more people were listening, I might not have written the poem I wrote today,
Shot
and killed,
Renee Good
stood up for her
brutally oppressed
neighbors being hunted—
They Have Guns, We Have Whistles
she said, in this land I love, this
land now feasting on its citizens.
I had the same first thought, but you did it better. Thanks for sharing, Ann.
Ann, thank you for writing about Renee here. Whistles as weapons (anti-weapons) of the oppressed, ugh, so powerful and disheartening.
Ann, thank your for this post and your choice of an American hero who “stood up” and paid the ultimate price. What happened there should never have ever happened but ever so quietly the attacks have wanted if not stopped. She will go down in history as a spokesperson for the resistance and who made a difference.
Oh, Ann, those last two lines are gut-wrenching. Wow, the juxtaposition of “this land I love” and “feasting on its citizens” is stark and real. I wish all of America could read it and then protest on March 28, where we could easily have a large enough percentage of our population out to force resignations.
Oh, Ann,
Your last line breaks my heart.
I was going to write about Renee Good. You did it perfectly. When will we stop hurting our citizens?
Ann, you said it so well remembering Renee Good. The final two lines are heartbreaking. I keep wondering when and how we may change. Thank you for your words today!
Ann, thank you for writing about Renee Good! “[T]his / land now feasting on its citizens” is such a powerful line!
Anna, Thank you for all 3 of these prompts. They deserve more thought and attention than I was able to give, but here’s an attempt for today.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
broad daylight. icy roads. cars stopped.
we all saw. slowed down. zoomed in.
but we were told something
else. She deserved it
they said. Or else
Orwellian
divide.
sick.
Luke, I liked the way you captured the moment which continues to boggle my mind— broad daylight— we all saw… it IS an Orwellian divide and IS sick and you captured the essence of that moment like the click of a camera…
Luke, your poem reflects the oddity and absurdity and horror (most of all) of our current situation. Minnesota deserves our strength and we desperately need theirs to get us out of this Orwellian plot line. (Weird observation – your poem is shaped like the state)
Not intentional, but cool observation, (the shape) Thank you Jennifer
Luke, your poem captures the brutal mentality of those days and murder any way you look at it that captured us all and broke our hearts.I don’t know if those in Washington understand even now. VERY sad
Luke, you and Ann both captured Renee Good’s murder. Your nonet is masterful, leaving out the 3 syllable line and making that divide so wide. Like it is for America right now.
Orwellian/ Divide is chilling. And the line space seems to accentuate the widening gulf that exists. You capture the moment so well.
Orwellian, indeed. Frightening.
Anna,
This Open Write has been a great acknowledgement of Women’s History Month–thank you for being our guide and focusing our attention and giving us the direction to celebrate women that we admire!
The Congresswoman from Minnesota
for Ilhan Omar
Someone
needed to
stand up and
say, enough is enough–
face attacks with raised fists
say, “you picked the wrong person”,
meet “go back where you came from”
with “I made it from refugee camps to Congress,
I represent the American dream, deal with it.”
Say “I am Minnesota. ICE go home!”
Build boisterious coalitions, be loud, unapologetic,
Call out bullying and racism
for what it is,
say No More!
Be our
exemplar.
Love it! You may have written this in a few minutes? But it is crafted with much more care and skill. Well done, Dave.
Dave, you honor Congresswoman Omar’s strength and courage, showcasing what our country truly stands for – we need more of these words, from both you and her, along with all other representatives. Thank you for sharing her strength.
Dave,your choice of Ms Omar is clearly an acknowledgement of the power of a strong woman to be an example to all of us of “calling out bullying and racism.” She does deal with the American Dram and you note so wonderfully. I too admire her strength and her voice in an era when it is very hard to stand up and say “enough.” Thank you for showcasing her today.
Dave, thank you for speaking to the quiet observers who do need to speak up. Omar can’t do it alone. If every member of Congress, and every voter would say No More! we would not be in this situation.
Dave,
Thank you for witnessing to Ilhan Omar’s heroism.
YES!
Thank you for crafting this, Dave! Your poem honors Congresswoman Omar, and I love the lines “Call out bullying and racism / for what it is, / say No More! / Be our / exemplar”!
Thank you for showcasing Harris who did her best in a tough situation. Thank you for this prompt that I wrote in my head before I could even type it out. I knew I would write about the Nobel Prize winning President of Mexico.I have watched her from afar with quiet admiration for her dignified stance in her relations with the United States. It would appear she avoids name calling, abusive language, and retaliation in favor of productive and focused dialogue. She appears to be, in my opinion, a class act who focuses energy on making the world a better place.
First
Female, Jewish
Nobel Prize Winner
Earned Pd.D, Nobel Prize,
Accomplished energy enginer, climate scientist,
Mexico City Mayor Introducing novel Cablebus
Accomplished improved citywide commuting, addressed everyone’s security,
Implemented gender-neutral uniform policy for students schools,
Landslide victory Presidenta Mexico, dialogue, de-escalation earning praised internationally
Her Excellency
Claudia Sheinbaum
Anita, I’m glad you chose Claudia— I too am watching and admiring her— you’ve capture her well accomplishments well!
Anita, another immensely strong and admirable woman! I’m so glad we are gathering them here in a place of honor while being able to delve into all that they have done. Thank you for highlighting her work.
I’m jealous of Mexico’s president. You have really highlighted so much that she has accomplished. Fascinating! I hope she will do great work in Mexico.
Anita,
Thank you for lauding President Sheinbaum’s achievements.
I love the momentum of your last one:
What a lovely spotlight to shine on Claudia! It’s nice to have women in leadership roles who value all the things we know are important.
A superb biographical poem. I learned a lot about this impressive woman!
What a great praise for Claudia Sheinbaum. You skillfully highlighted her impressive achievements. She deserves to star in today’s poem line up. Thank you!
Anna, what our country lost by not choosing a strong woman will never be regained. Thank you for honoring her with your poem and sharing her again with us. I’ve loved being able to focus on women during this month’s open write!
Writing a journal of resistance,
a witness to wrongs around her,
Frannie Kemble spoke about
the enslaved, the dismissed,
those given no voice,
her words silenced,
lost–until
she could
be
silenced
no longer.
She allowed the
voices of enslaved
women, so seldom heard,
to shine through, despite the real
threat of losing her own children
to a husband who refused to hear.
Jennifer,
I hadn’t known about Fanny Kemble and her abolitionist work, so thank you for shedding light on her endeavors and her refusal to be silenced. Your poem centers the ideas of hearing and voice and overcoming silence, which is such a powerful message. I have “Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation” pulled up on another tab, so I have some reading to do!
Same. Thank you, Jennifer for the introduction. I want to know more! That word, “allow” is perfectly powerful.
*Editing to correctly name her Fanny!
Jennifer, I am struck by the form and content here. There is so much to say about a life, but this form only allows for a few words. The shape, the arc, the frame of it seems to hold space for all that we cannot know, for the other parts she would tell. Still, I feel it wanting a biography. Your next subject?
Wonderfully done! “her words silenced”, but now you are one adding to the echo of unsilencing. Thanks for the great poem.
Jennifer, wow, I just learned of Frannie Kemble from your poem. I’ve been off reading more about her. I like the repetition of voice, how she gave voice to others and refused to be silenced herself.
Fanny Kemple is new to me. What an impressive woman! I am going to do some reading about her tonight!
Jennifer, thank you for opening my eyes to this woman who would not be silenced. As I read through these poems today I am filled with pride for all the strong women who have shaped and are shaping the future. Yet, I am also filled with sadness and the powerful reminder of what women have risked and lost for the cause of caring.
Anna,
You sure are leading us to look at the women in our world. I decided to push myself to learn about someone new rather than writing about my beloved Taylor Swift. I landed on the acting president of Venezuela. I knew nothing so Google to the rescue. ChatGPT helped distill the info into more manageable tidbits.
Delcy Rodriguez
control
political family
quiet, fiery temperament
private life is private
highly educated lawyer and diplomat
complicit in many human rights violations
systemic suppression is the way of the place
rose within the United Socialist Party of Venezuela
entered the fray after father’s murder by pro-American intelligence
vice-president when Operation Absolute Resolve yanked Nicolas Maduro
eleven days ago, the US recognized her authority.
will she succeed in stabilizing the country
deeply embedded manipulation of power structures
architect of a corrupt system
oil is her spouse
surface seems stable
polarizingly powerful
Chavista
~Susan Ahlbrand
23 March 2026
ooof. “oil is her spouse.” That’s a hard truth. I learned about this lady from this poem. Well done.
There is something about saying a woman’s first name, isn’t there. This is just so humanizing to begin with the name and biography, contextualizing the individual within systems and the ways she has been leveraged and does the leveraging. Who knows the story history will tell about what happened? I hope she writes it toward justice. Thanks for this.
Anna, thank you for hosting this month. I appreciate the variations you provide for nonets and play with words at the end of your poem.
dolores
spanish for
sorrows, living in
silos, silence, never too
late to harvest truths, plow
power of an oppressor
trauma-lined, lived
experiences, strong
huerta
Beautiful…and tragic and strong. This variation works so well, I had to look back at your introductory sentence to make sure the form was there.
Stefani, this echoes Stacey’s poem from a couple days ago, and I thank you for the invitation to name and honor Dolores and the “dolor” or pain she has carried in silence for too long. The language of harvest is so appropriate in the cultivating of truth stifled by plow power. Craftful. For sure.
Stefani,
My first thought was to write about Dolores Huerta, but I’m glad I read your poem first.
Your words are lyrical and spare, yet so powerful. Thank you.
Your word choice is so precise — the alliteration strengthens your message. I looked up Huerta — it means “produce farm”. The sorrow of the garden…
Anna, I love learning new ways of writing, and I am fascinated to learn about the nonet form that uses the number of words versus syllables. I have never written one and can’t wait to try it out. Kamala Harris is a perfect choice for today’s woman in the news – such a classy lady, so smart. I am still in the month of Cento writing, and today’s poem uses lines from The Tradition by Jericho Brown, one with our theme word woman. Thank you for hosting us for this month of Open Write prompts!
Two Words
A poem is a gesture toward home
or the woman for whom it was a gift.
None of our fights ended where they began.
Long ago, we used two words.
Lines taken from, in this order: Duplex; After Avery R. Young; Duplex: Cento; The Legend of Big and Fine.
Woah. Those first two lines are so beautiful together. The combination of, “gesture toward home/ or…” grab my attention and pull me right in. The last two lines feel like experiences I’ve had…so it feels like a poem I know well but am also delighted to discover.
Kim, you make me want to practice writing cento poems. Each day, your poem is a gem. The first two lines fit together seamlessly. But then the final line makes a comeback to a poem, which might be a gesture or a woman. Fascinating!
Love all the threads you are pulling together in this poem from your writing life and craft. It is quite the weaving of “traditions” and origins in both words and your story. I hear woman and home as at once personal and collective. We can see ourselves here. And name our own two words.
Kim, you have modeled the power of the Cento to send a strong message about women. Long ago, we did use two words.
Virginia’s Executive
Abigail
my governor
intelligence officer
responding to the moment
our moment of civic crisis
by making kitchen-table issues priority.
We go to work now, with her
making sure that all those at our tables
have a say, participate, in our stressed-out democracy
Linda, there is something soulfully appealing about kitchen-table issues being a priority, where everyone has a voice and every person at the table can express their thoughts and have a vote. A family approach to politics would be a welcome change.
Linda,
I see the naming of Abigail as important here — the first name, a woman, at a kitchen table. A grounding. A familiar. The kitchen table brings up so many possibilities but above all a conversation over labor, about labor, and the implied seats at the table for anyone who wants to join. Maybe benches.
Sarah
You countered the global politics
of loud presidential tantrums –
Mette, maybe its your voice
that can lead us forward
towards a resistance
through persistence –
like phantoms,
lost but
not
Mette Frederiksen is the prime minister of Denmark
amen. resistance through persistence might just need to be my next protest sign!
Anyone stable and unhinged who can lead effectively with a soft voice and be an inspiration and example gets my vote. Tantrums and bullying are not the way. Thank you for sharing Mette with us.
Kevin, first, thank you for introducing the Prime Minister of Denmark, and second, thank you for a masterful nonet. The word choices are so effective. I like the idea of moving forward “toward a resistance / through persistence.”
Kevin,
What a great choice! She does show us a path forward to counter presidential tantrums–and I really love your direct address in the 3rd line.