By Tammie Rice
Stand up,
speak out, and never
apologize for their voices
Refuse to fit into boxes they never
chose for themselves
Dare to say No when Yes, or even
silence, would be so much easier
Stand tall when others would rather
see them kneel
Shatter ceilings meant to keep them small
Walk paths of their own making, wearing
scars as badges of honor
Break and rewrite norms because
justice demands it
Inspire others,
forgive themselves,
find strength in resistance
Know that resilience is loud, unapologetic, and fierce
Dream of a world that doesn’t yet exist and work tirelessly to
Support women who are not able to
stand up or speak out.
About the Author
A career path that resembles the dance of a drunken octopus and a nearly unquenchable passion for language and learning has provided Tammie Rice with 35+ years experience in graphic design, marketing, and web design in retail, education, non-profit, and government fields. At heart, she is identifies as a poet-potter-philosopher.
After earning an MFA in Creative Writing from Mississippi University for Women, Tammie was selected to participate in AWP’s Writer to Writer program. Her involvement in the literary community includes serving as managing editor for Ponder Review, assistant editor for Poetry South, guest reader for Aji Magazine, and as a CLMP Firecracker Fellow in 2019, 2024, and 2025. She is thrilled to be working with Teresa Berkowitz to produce the first anthology for Tangled Locks Journal. Publication includes Ninth Letter online and DeLuge Journal.
Long live the Oxford Comma!
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We have opened up submissions to include visual essays, creative nonfiction and poetry. Submission are open. All accepted work will be considered for inclusion in an anthology documenting this pivotal election year.
Tangled Locks Journal 