Flowers, and sun, and music, and art!
“What the woman who labors wants is the right to live, not simply exist — the right to life as the rich woman has the right to life, and the sun and music and art. The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too”. These were the words of American socialist and feminist Rose Schneiderman back in 1912. at one of the numerous worker protests held at the time. It was clear to Rosa what we often forget now: the emancipation of women must be comprehensive. Such a battle should be fought on all fronts, should address all aspects of subordination.
To mock giving flowers is to mock a woman’s request for dignity and integrity. A patriarchal social system reduces us to a sole identity: it divides us into workers, housewives, trophies, professions….Let’s not help them!
For many women today, that flower we look down on will is a rare expression of respect and gratitude. Instead of getting rid of it, let’s take it back to its root: flowers for all women, every day.
Flowers, and sun, and music, and art. Let’s liberate women from being reduced to just work instead of trapping them in it!
Bread and Roses
James Oppenheim
Published: The Cry For Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest, ed. by Upton Sinclair, John C. Winston Co., 1915.
As we come marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill-lofts gray
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing, “Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses.”
As we come marching, marching, we battle, too, for men–
For they are women’s children and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes–
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses!
As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient song of Bread;
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew–
Yes, bread we fight for–but we fight for Roses, too.
As we come marching, marching, we bring the Greater Days–
The rising of the women means the rising of the race–
No more the drudge and idler–ten that toil where one reposes–
But sharing of life’s glories: Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses!
Kruha i ruža
Rouz Šenderman / Džejms Openhajm
prevod: Asja Bakić
Dok marširamo, marširamo u ljepoti dana,
Milijuni zamračenih kuhinja, tisuće posivjelih zdanja,
Dotaknuti su sjajem svim koji iznenadno sunce pruža
Jer ljudi čuju naš pjev: “Kruha i ruža! Kruha i ruža!”
Dok marširamo, marširamo, i za muškarce se borimo,
Jer i oni su djeca žena, i ponovno za njih majčinski gorimo.
Naši životi neprimjetno traju od rođenja do smrti, muka je duža;
Srca gladuju kao i tijela; dajte nam kruha, ali dajte nam ruža!
Dok marširamo, marširamo, bezbrojnih mrtvih žena duh
Plačući viče kroz naš pjev svoju prastaru molbu za kruh.
Malo umjetnosti, ljubavi i ljepote njihove su izmučetne duše znale
Da, za kruh se borimo – ali za ruže također sve bismo dale.
Dok marširamo, marširamo, bolje donosimo dane.
Ustankom žena i ljudskoj će vrsti da svane.
Nema više – deset da crnči gde jedan leži i noge pruža,
Dijeljenju životne slave se teži: Kruža i ruža! Kruha i ruža!
