When did I ***** these parameters, From which I can't escape Since when did I hem myself in so tightly That I can't breathe, that I refuse to let myself be I made rules for myself To deter myself from getting hurt But these rules are suffocating me, Suffocating my autonomy What happened to the days when I proclaimed boldly That I would grow up to be just like Amelia Earheart Fearlessly flying beyond any limitations Until I am boundless, Beyond the limitation of my body Why has the trauma of adolescence and the uncertainty of adulthood Made me such a calculated, cynical being, Begging the ineffable for meaning? Digging for the answers of what I'm supposed to be Can females be forward and pursue their dreams? Without the fantasy of a man who would provide stability I guess the world has made me scared Of the reality of being a woman That wanting a man Feels like a necessity, like a security blanket, Or a gun To ward off these crimes against womanhood But it's really a flaw in perspective, Women may be the victim of ****** oppression, Being used as flesh mannequins to penetrate and beat, A weaker vessel on which to release the pent up rage of the patriarchy But I shall persist, nonetheless, For when the whole world is against me I rise I've been a victim for too long But in my victimhood I have found that I am strong And that the only security I need Is this relentless heart, Living for a cause So that maybe oneday, more people's eyes will be open to see, And soon we'll just be able to breathe Without all this trauma and worldwide unease Death has become defeated, So, I must live without parameters, I must be fearless.