Martha's Complaint

Why do the daughters

daughters of Israel suffer?

Daughters of Sara, mothers

of daughters of suffering

Sons of Abraham.

Hunger

Fear

Loneliness

of mothers so long without hope.

 

Our hope,

O my leader

my anointed king,

when you were fishing for men,

messiah,

did the women fall through your net?

When you took our husbands

called our brothers

led our sons away,

let our sisters follow

at your heels,

did these women fall through your net?

Your manna will not feed us

when you are gone to Jerusalem;

your revolutionaries

will not keep our children safe.

 

What’s wrong

with home and hearth, what’s wrong

with ‘women’s work’?

It’s a fine revolution

a fine revolt you’ll have,

with none to keep the fires burning.

Miracle bread will not feed you all your days,

Fishers of Men.