Ladyhawks

Today I wore wings in my ears for flight
And Dragon Girl lipstick: war paint, warning.
My hair combed careful, plumage dyéd bright
A warmth against the chill air of morning.

Today I took the train and saw imbued
The anger borne of centuries of compliance.
Our feathers ruffled even as we brood
Preparing for the heat of our defiance.

Today our cageless life does not suffice;
We struggle upward, jesses taut and strained.
The twisting twinge of freedom, froze in ice
But stokes within us fire long sustained.

Be warned: beneath fine feathers, bright-bead eyes
Our dragons’ claws drip scarlet from the skies.