I chose these pieces because I love my poems. The purpose of these pieces were to be someone in history and first, to write a poem as if you where them. Then, to be yourself and write about your struggle and peaceful protest strategies. One similar thing  between the 2 poems is that Betty Friedan and I both use writing as our peaceful protest to inform people about our struggle. I learned that there is power in writing.

Betty Friedan Freedom Song

I am the voice of my time,

A strong woman of some kind,

I write on paper what women think in their mind,

Courage is what my writing helps them find.

I give them that little push that someone gave me,

I offer support and try to help them see,

I show them their courage and make them believe,

So they can have the strength to be free.

I help women fight.

For their equal and choice rights,

For all of the ones that are very bright,

but are made shadows by the men’s light.

I help them find their place,

I help them join in the race,

Even if it just puts a smile on their face,

it fills the part of my heart, that use to be empty space.

I fight for equal opportunity, between the woman and man.

For feminine issues I take a stand,

do any and everything I can,

but I fight with my words, not my hand.

remembering staying nonviolent is an important part,

and peaceful words are a good place to start,

I have to always remember to work smart,

I fight first with my brain, then with my heart.

My Freedom Song

I was born to lead,

I was born to roam the world freely,

not be bounded by the stereotypes of my community,

But I have courage and bravery.

I fight against the odds and try,

even when I’m scared and want to cry,

I am the person that believes they can fly,

the free bird that roams the sky.

I still push, when my back’s against the rope,

I keep going, when there’s little hope,

I say yes, when others are quick to say no,

I keep moving, even if I don’t know where to go.

I refuse to let my people be invisible,

when we have so much potential,

And the things that are essential,

to making my people invincible.

I work by using my brain,

writing poems and speeches to let others know our pain,

Some people think us “people” are all the same,

but I don’t use it as a weakness but a gain.

I am guided by my heart,

and my civil words play a key part,

as long as my brain and body are never apart,

then I can make peaceful creative art.