To the Women in the Prisons of Chile

Apartment

is a word for

where I live:

alone

while you live

in solitary or

in a cramped cell

with twelve

other women

and are most alone

when surrounded

by silent

men

your tormentors

your captors.

administrators

of your pain

oh they are very strong, these

men! they have

mice

wire

guns

electrodes

clubs

dogs and

themselves

with which to invade you oh yes

this is very strong

But you

are stronger

are never alone

while the truth is known:

the days' torture ended

you return to the women

AND SING

@

Page 6/What She Wants/March, 1980

1

And this is to say

and this is to say

that your singing has not been in vain

this is to say

that your song has reached me

has changed me

has hurt me

even

in my apartment:

that I hear you clearly: your magnificent altos

your sopranos

raised up over

the pain of your wounds raised up over

my pain at your wounds

keeps on drumming

an unconquerable tune:

it has invaded my blood!

it has beaten the white

noise of traffic

and TV into submission!

arise arise all american women

there is no such thing as

alone

rise up

be women

be what you are

be strong

and we'll all be free, we'll all

be singing soon

In the place where you livẹ there is no such word as apartment

so I will go out

to my friends now

AND SING OF YOU

-Jenny Reece Aberdeen

Johanna Vogelsang/LNS

Jenny Reece Aberdeen is a poet living in Ithaca, New York. In 1978, Action for Women in Chile, a group based in New York City, printed her poem on "cartas" (postcards) and mailed them to women throughout Chile.