She worked hard,
ground-up,
until everyone took notice of her,
It was time to rise; it was time to shine.

she was overlooked because she is a woman,
She was suppressed when she desired to voice her opinion,
She was coerced to silence when she aspired to cut through the noise,
It was time to rise; it was time to shine.

She needed to know if she was heard,
not to be shamed.
She needed to know if she was backed,
not to be averted,
She needed to know if she was loved,
not to be shunned.
It was time to rise; it was time to shine.

As she wondered how to go up against the behemoth,
she chose to take the stride towards eminence all over again.
While they all gaped where she did come from,
She had the confidence to challenge the norms,
The poise to rise above qualm,
The power to endure and persevere,
The voice to rebuff the ignorance surrounding her,
and the hope for a better world,
It’s time to rise; It’s time to shine.