Prayers to a New God

By Billie Daddario

In the world we’ve created

Our every movement is a prayer.

 Sent up to a high God

Asking,” pleases and thank yous”

We’ve done it all and, all at once

Made sacrifices that they could not imagine

And still they prefer us

under foot

underneath

on the bottom.

We have terrified them with our skill

Our magic

Our knowledge

And now they

Prefer us outside looking in.

They will use one of our own to betray us.

A new high God to chip away at us

Pieces at a time.

We who sacrificed our young to make her who she is

Will die at the base of her temple trying to be heard.

Dying with a coat hanger around our neck

we will bleed to death unnecessarily

In the alleys with no one to hold our hands

Like in the old days

Before we marched and won.