Mothers

Here's to mothers whose children aren't 'colored'...

Who don't have to worry about a traffic stop or a walk down the street ending the life of the person they love most...
Who don't have to explain slavery, lynching, and brutality in ways that hit a little too close to home...

Here's to mothers whose children aren't transgender...

Who don't have to fight for their child to urinate without shame or segregation...
Whose children can proudly wear a military uniform, and never have their service questioned...

Here's to mothers whose children aren't gay...

Who don't have to worry about their child being called 'faggot,' or 'sissy,' or 'dyke'...
Who don't worry about beatings or nightclub bombings...

Here's to mothers whose children are citizens...

Who don't have to worry about their child being exploited for cheap labor...
Who don't have to worry about their child being sent 'back' to a country they don't know where they could be killed for any reason, or no reason at all...

Here's to mothers whose children aren't female...

Who don't have to worry about their health care choices and options being taken away by men who will never know what it's like to be pregnant or need a cancer screening or have a period...
Who don't have to worry that the clothing they wear will brand them a 'slut who was asking for it'...

Here's to mothers whose children aren't critically ill...

Who don't have to worry about how they'll pay for lifesaving medical equipment...
Who never worry if the government will take away protections that allow their child to have health insurance they need at a cost they can afford to keep them alive...

Here's to mothers whose children aren't poor...

Who don't worry about the shame of an unpaid lunch bill...
Who don't worry about where they'll sleep tonight...

Here's to mothers whose children are Christian...

Who don't have to explain why "Little Timmy called me a 'terrorist'" or "threatened me with an oven"...
Who don't have to explain why their friend told them they are going to hell for what they believe, or don't believe...

Here's to mothers of privilege...

Who sleep well, not knowing, caring, or understanding how the system is rigged in their favor...

The rest of us keep watch over our sleeping babes and hope they will survive each day with their beautiful, innocent humanity and fragile, powerful bodies in tact. 

Here's to us.  And here's to our beautiful, perfectly imperfect children.

Dedicated to Leah, Alice, Lauren Faith, and all children in the world who suffer...