You have me
chasing words as if
they're already
poetry,
sifting through
my index of
ways to explain what
you've done to me,
tie them to a hook,
throw the line,
& wait for prose

I'm so prone to wilting
in the sun,
by the lake,
because my skin
is made of
Morning Glories
and you've blasted me with
every type of sun the desert
has
to offer

Now I'm catching words like I'm fishing
for poetry to
feed
my need
to hold you in
a boat and then tell the
world how I love you.

when i was 4 i was ashamed of feminity
when i was 5 i started comparing myself to other girls
when i was 7 i weighed myself on a daily basis
when i was 8 i thought that if i wasnt skinny i wasnt beautiful
when i was 10 i learned the word "****"
when i was 12 i hurt myself because i didnt think i was good enough
when i was 13 i wore a shirt that showed my shoulders in school. i was told i was asking for it
when i was 14 i had to go to a psychologist because my self esteem was so low i wanted to die
i still cant wear a skirt without someone commenting on its length
i still cant speak my mind and have a man take me seriously
i still cant mutter the word "feminism" without a boy looking at me like i'm ****
i still look in the mirror and hate myself
i still wonder if im asking for it
i still worry about walking the streets alone and my brother never did
i still get asked why i need feminism
because being called a girl is an insult
because men STILL think its all about men
because im more worried about being ***** than how my grades are
because no matter how smart i am, a boy is somehow better
because girls still die everyday as feminism is disregarded
because feminism is "a joke"
because "why isnt it called equalism?"
because i feel that we are worth it