A poem for International Women’s Day 2026. Women and under-represented minorities are more likely to be appointed to leadership roles during a crisis, perhaps breaking a glass ceiling but running the risk of plummeting over a glass cliff. They may think they are taking the reins, but wind up taking the blame.
Posted as an image for obvious reasons, and the text of the poem is below.
Text of the poem
Framing the poem above is a line of tiny repetitions of ‘glass ceiling’, and on the right reading vertically, repetitions of ‘glass cliff’.
Who shatter upwards
Raise a glass to the women
who shatter upwards.
Cheer the women
who are wise and say no
or if they say yes
know how
executives hedging their bets
appoint them to run over cliffs
ready to crumble
and either way claim the credit.
And who are these architects designing glass ceilings
into every office block?
No need
to bow beneath such impractical fragility.
Raise a glass to the women
who shatter upwards.