“Calling All Women” by Ruby Dee

Calling All Women
Calling all sisters. Calling all
Righteous sisters.
Calling all women. To steal away
To our secret place. Have a meeting
Face to face. Look at the facts
And determine our pace. Calling all
Women.
We want to reach – first and second
And
Third world women
Come together!
Women in and outside the power structure –
Working women,
Welfare women,
Women who feel alienated and isolated
Women who are all frustrated
Women who have given up – women – women
Questioning women – women
Unpolarized and unorganized.
Ostracized. Tired of being penalized
Come help us start to bridge the gaps
Racial, cultural, or generation
We want some action and veneration.
These men, these men they
Just ain’t doing it.
They’ve had hundreds of years
Now they ‘bout to ruin it.
Kitchen, office, ex-prison women
Old and young and middle-aged women
Make this scene
Oh yes, and bring your lunch!
Problems, problems common problems
That we make and cause each other
Sister, daughter, old grandmother
Female child you can bring your little brother
Take the subway, grad a cab
Saddle your mule
Bike it, limo
Take a choo-choo, fly
Or pick ‘em up and lay ‘em down.
Socialism, capitalism, communism
Feminism, womanism, lesbianism
Here-and-now or futurism
We just can’t afford a schism
We got to get together or die.
Now is the time for an evolution
Let’s all search and find a solution
For how we’ll make it to the next revolution
Or die.
Oh yes. And don’t forget your lunch!