My Empty Womb is Offended

Here I am, 

mouth taped tight 

so I don’t offend anyone. 

Here I am, 

sitting in silence, 

biting my tongue

because I respect 

all women. 

Here I am, 

a woman who chose 

not to march. 

Does that make your blood 

boil or your eyes roll? 

Well, here I am now, 

a woman who’s triggered. 

That’s right. 

I’m pissed off. 

Ripping the tape from my mouth

and exercising my first amendment right 

just like you. 

But I am sitting on the other side 

of the table. 

You know the one. 

The hated side, 

the stupid side, 

and I cannot possibly know 

what I’m talking about. 

Well, have a seat. 

Let’s sit together 

while the table flips 

THE FUCK OVER AND OUT. 

I am the same as you 

in many ways. 

I don’t care if you get an abortion, 

but I do care if you get it for free. 

I don’t care if you get an abortion, 

but I do care if it’s because 

you’re too stupid to use birth control. 

Before you fly into a frenzy, 

I’m not talking about women 

who seek abortions after rape, 

incest, or medical emergency. 

I’m speaking to the women 

who use abortion as a form of birth control 

after an oops!  

I’m speaking to the women 

who use their poverty 

to get an abortion for free. 

I’m speaking to the women 

who have insurance plans that cover 

this procedure, and I’m speaking to 

the insurance companies 

that have the audacity to cover 

such a procedure if it’s not  

life threatening or medically necessary. 

To the insurance companies 

who cover abortion, 

To the insurance companies 

who cover sex change operations: 

  FUCK YOU! 

And before you tell me 

to adopt all the unwanted babies 

who couldn’t get aborted in time, 

let me tell you this: 

First of all, 

that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard 

because adoption isn’t free. 

Adoption isn’t covered by insurance. 

But you know what is covered? 

A hysterectomy. 

You know what also isn’t covered 

under most plans? 

Invitro-Fertilization. 

So, while you are fighting for your right 

to keep abortions legal, 

let me tell you a story. 

I was denied health insurance 

by every major insurance provider 

because I had a history of infertility. 

These plans don’t cover pregnancy

so I was denied having any coverage at all 

because I guess they were afraid 

some miraculous pregnancy 

would happen and they would be forced 

to continue discriminating 

by not covering me or my make-believe baby. 

When I did have insurance, 

I didn’t get any government funds 

after I had miscarriage after miscarriage, 

and I didn’t get any government help 

when I had to have numerous 

D&C procedures. 

I was a great candidate for invitro-fertilization!   

How exciting… until you see how much 

that costs.  

Adoption? Sure… in a heartbeat! 

Oh… never mind, 

too expensive.  

You think the foster homes 

and adoption agencies 

are packed full of unwanted children 

because someone couldn’t have 

an abortion? 

Wrong! 

They’re overflowing 

because no one can afford the 

ten thousand plus dollars 

to adopt a child. 

So, go get your abortion 

since the birth control 

you didn’t use failed you, 

and I will dream of a day 

the hopes and dreams I once had 

didn’t have a price tag 

I couldn’t afford. 

Insurance companies 

love to pay for hysterectomies 

by the way… if you have insurance, 

but your out of pocket 

is still going to be over five grand. 

If you don’t have insurance, 

and you need a medically necessary 

hysterectomy, you can kiss about 

twenty thousand dollars goodbye. 

For anyone who says, 

“It’s a rich persons world” 

you are sadly mistaken 

and horribly misinformed. 

If all of the women who marched 

sent $100 to planned parenthood 

instead of dressing up like a vagina, 

you could have funded them for a year. 
I don’t think the government 

should be able to tell women 

what to do with their own bodies, 

but if you want to be 

an empowered woman, 

take control of your own body

by being responsible for it. 

Not everyone has the option 

of finding themselves 

facing the decision of keeping a baby 

or getting rid of it. 

There are empty wombs 

who were never lucky enough 

to be filled with that “oops” 

you can’t stop making. 

Also, if you are actually crying 

over the fact that international funds 

for abortion have been stopped, 

I have no words for you

other than, 

why were we funding other countries 

abortions in the first place? 

If you’re offended that I ripped 

the tape off my mouth 

because of the mistake you keep 

ripping from your womb, 

just know: 

I’m offended too. 

Stephanie Bennett-Henry©2017