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