I know her life...

A bunch of us rowdy womxxn are in a noisy restaurant, high on smelling ourselves and just being together. In order to use the bathroom, I have to pass an older white strate couple, the male half of which is staring at me and then my chest where he is reading with great obvious distaste "Smash Fuckin Patriarchy".

I inwardly smile as I continue along my path. Returning from the bathroom, they both swivel around from the counter on their high stools to look slightly down at me as the female of the couple reaches out to me to ask what is written on my t-shirt.

I don't think she is practiced confronting people but I think they have 'agreed' she would be the designated confrontor. Of course, he also leans forward and mutters something that we both ignore - me holding her eyes and her unable to glance away.

I tell her. She looks dubious and begins to do the male protection gatekeeping thing. I stop her and ask her if she doesn't think male violence has to be smashed.

She flushes slightly then turns extremely pale and I know her life just like that. She stutters some womyn are violent also. We stare at each other for a few beats before I start rattling off statistics of violence against womyn.

She eases back into her chair, her husband totally neglected, nodding slowly.

I ease forward and tell her we womyn HAVE to take over. There's been enough destruction of human life and Mother Earth. A hint of a smile fills her eyes as she nods with more confidence and utters some of my favorite words: "I think you might be right!"