everyday that i wake,
i step out of bed,
and see the same thing.

every day,
i am a woman,
and everyday,
i am punk.

i am punk
not because i look it,
but because my existence
defies the world at large.

i was born with holes
in my brain,
and a dead twin,
with a doctor saying,
“she won’t live long”.

i grew up being told to
cover up.
i grew up being told to
listen and obey.

but being a woman means
i refuse to listen to
anyone but me.

no laws can govern
my body
or my thoughts.

i see a woman everyday
and i know
she is punk.