He recalls it happening
but it isn’t something he likes to discuss
girls becoming women

I hold my breath
waiting for him to let go
He hangs on

He
stands a little too close
stares a little too long
and we say no
but he doesn’t listen
he has treated women like this his whole life

When the tears have dried…

I asked him why he thought it was okay
to mistreat and misuse me
Cause I like the attention you're giving me?
Shaking his head, said
Girls are different than boys
He’ll never understand

all the happenings she had not understood
all the forgotten incidents
that would never end

So, we pretend like this isn't happening
Just a bad dream
But the truth is, it hurts
it hurts
it hurts

we are accustomed to swallowing these emotions and staying quiet

But
She is alive
She’s special
a real thing, a good woman
and man will never understand
and they will not give her back to me
my childhood, my innocence

I wondered if I could ever be so perfect again

It reminds us of the stories we’ve heard
from our mothers and grandmothers
that too many women have felt
and we worry about our daughters hearing it
the shameful comments about our bodies

you can do anything you want to a woman

Isn’t she lovely?
Isn’t she wonderful?
A beautiful woman
everybody took for a girl
but she's no fool

Could it be worse?

Her gender has become
synonymous to weakness
incapability
and inadequacy
but then again thats nothing new

To keep herself to herself

But
I am a girl
since the day I was born
this is my gender
my life

we cannot ignore

I will assure you
I salute your existence
girls
females
women
of all shapes and sizes
your voice still has value and merit
Your body sill has worth

Remember, you are a woman to be recognised and honoured

If I put myself in the man’s place
What would he do next?
See, I’m a woman of many talents
and great ideas

My mother would be proud of me

So, I will be no man,
but the man you want me to be
only
I’ll be a woman