Product of Our Times - Deepa Rajan
poem read by
Product of Our Times
Deepa Rajan
Our founding fathers
built this country on equality
and also had slaves.
A product of their times, perhaps -
but there was a minority in rebellion:
Johns Adams, Hamilton, others.
Our great-grandmothers
were limited in higher education,
they were told to quit work after marriage.
A product of their times, perhaps -
but there was a minority in rebellion:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gertrude Stein, others.
Our great-grandmothers
were not allowed to wear pants,
they could be persecuted for crossdressing.
A product of their times, perhaps -
but there was a minority in rebellion:
Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, others.
In the 2020s C.E.
women (only women) were told to be
completely hairless below the eyelashes.
A product of their times, perhaps -
but there was a minority in rebellion:
Are you?
Deepa Rajan is a scientist and writer. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Synapse, Toil and Trouble
Lit Mag, and Rough Diamond Poetry.
https://bsky.app/profile/deeparajan.bsky.social
