She began to Speak
by Paige Hansen Davis

She began to speak
in recipe cards, & shopping lists
in photo albums, family stories and drawings on the fridge
in letters, & in lyrics
in knitting circles, quilting circles and in the circled arms of her love
in diaries, in poems and finally on bills and ballots
…here voice crept in
a whimper, a whisper, a wail
waiting in the wings for her time and for her wind
And just as she spoke
Just as she reached the podium
Just as it was her time
She turned to me and –
                          I began to speak.