when the rookery of women
warriors all
each cupping one hand around
her remaining breast

daughters of dahomey
their name fierce on the planet

when they came to ask
who knows what you might have
to sacrifice    poet      amazon
there is no choice

then when they each
with one nipple lifted
beckoned to me
five generations removed

i rose
and ran to the telephone
to hear
      cancer    early detection    no
      mastectomy    not yet

there was nothing to say
my sisters swooped in a circle dance
audre was with them and i
had already written this poem