Stupid white girl. We are not allowed to do anything. We're prim and proper, white girls. We are not allowed to fight back. Put us in our place, white girls. We are not allowed real work. We still want our twenty three cents back.
The child of fair skin and blue eyes. But with all my female privilege, Came a nasty stamp on my body. Like a watermark. FEMALE. I have heard that when a woman looks in the mirror, she sees a woman. But when a man looks in the mirror, he sees a human.
Even with that watermark, our pale skin is used as a canvas. And everyone else has been handed the tools to color in our curves. Covering us in blue and black and purple and red. Redrawing our minds so they cannot process the discrimination, Painting over our tears so our feelings can be buried, Manufacturing open legs when you want them, Closed when you don't. Erasing the lips we use to speak out, Erasing the eyes we use to see all of this.
You think just because you held the brush, Just because you created this monstrosity of a "masterpiece" You get to claim ownership of this piece of artwork That you blatantly disregard Is my BODY.
The "fe" you tack onto "male" Does not stand for Free Entry. The "wo" you tack onto "man" Does not stand for Wipe Out.
Women are barely able hold a pencil. I was lucky to hold one long enough to draw myself A conscience, a backbone, legs to stand on, and a mind. We were only taught how to use the back end of that pencil ToΒ erase our mouth and keep the secrets. But these days the secrets are keeping themselves.
I will not be put in a glass case You will not charge admission To have people come and analyze me. Buy me. Give me value. Categorize me. Preserve me the way you created.