Womanhood; A Complex

A poem written in honour of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.

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A shared generational wound

Burdened

A need to heal

Many Women

Have tried before us

Have suffered

Broken

Fought to no end

Exterminated

Ancestor’s dreams

Shattered

Before they even began

Suffocated by expectations

Imposed upon them from birth

Based on assigned gender

Opportunities out of reach

Squandered

Spirits crushed

The will to live

Bursts up in flames

Shut down

Shot down

Silenced

Ended

How dare we?

We don’t

Speak up?

We can’t

Who are we?

A means to an end

Where do we find our place?

In correlation to Man

Acceptance?

On Man’s terms

Voices suppressed

Yelling at the void

Called crazy

Lunatic

Wild

Restless

Untamed

Out of line

Disrespected

Dismissed

Divided

Separated

One from the other

One by one

To prevent

A collective strength

Pitted against each other

In order to suppress

Our innate power

Which is undeniable

We all know it

It is fact, not fiction

Yet we are still denied

Denying us of connection

Denying us of community

Not allowing us to bloom

Keeping us sedated

Compliant

Obedient

A fear based oppression

Sinking feelings

Slipping minds

Losing our hold

Our grasp on reality

What is reality?

Why am I here?

Who am I?

Who are we?

Doubts planted like seeds

Planted with purpose

Planted with intention

Planted to weaken us

Doubts of our unity

Doubt of our strength

Doubts of our independence

Doubts of our capabilities

Doubts of our identity

Doubts of our place in this world

Where do we stand?

The ground itself

Off limits

Where can we speak?

Muzzled

Accessorized

Used

Discarded

A weight

A burden

A screw loose

Loose cannon

Fickle string

Frayed heart

Wild card  

Wondering if any of it

Is worth the pain

When forced to live a life

For anyone but ourselves

Dedicated

To someone else’s cause

Dedicated forcefully

By imposed expectations

Told our worth

Directly

Indirectly

From the moment

We are born

Second place

Belonging only

In the shadow of Man

To not speak

Unless addressed

Your opinions

Radical

Your values

Unimportant

Your worth

Barely considered

Your perspectives

Fantasy

Your ideas

Daydreams

Demanding forces

At every step

Forceful expectations

Sit pretty

Be quiet

Take your dedicated place

Behind man

Don’t fight

Don’t breathe

Don’t speak

Lay down

Give up

Not us

Not them

Not you

Not I

It is our time now

The world is ours

Claim ownership

Take up space

Unapologetically

It is our turn

We will claim 

Our rightful place

As warriors

As power houses

As angels

As goddesses

As legends

As queens

We are magic

We are resilience

We are unmovable

We cannot be silenced

We are unshakable

For we stand as one

Together 

We are here

We always will be

Taking our place

At the table

A table for equals

Let us build

A bond

Of mutual worship

To worship one another

The earth we walk on

We are beings

Radiating light

Despite these wounds

No choice

To bear

This weight

Heavy on our shoulders

Collectively

We will eradicate

Obliterate

Expunge

Our history

We will not forget

We will honour

Those before us

By breaking the chain

The patterns

The toxicity

The expectations

The blatant disregard

Empowering one another

Enhancing our voices

Uplifting each other

Building together

A world worth living

Where our place is clear

Understood by all

But especially

By us

We are the answer

We are the torchbearers

We are the cavalry

We are the change

We are life itself

Manifested

A mission

Dedicated

To reclaim

What is ours

Our power

Our meaning

We embody

Source itself

Without us

Nothingness

We are present

In our fight

A fight fought

Over time

Endlessly

Relentlessly

Say it together

Say it loud

Say it proud

It all ends now

United

I see you

I feel you

I hear you

I honour you

I worship you

Woman

Jojo