Dear Woman

I come here not to fight,

but rather to lay down my weapons.

I come here not to prove

to you

or to anyone

my worth as a woman.

After many years of picking fights with myself,

I now know my worth

like the back of my

hand.

Instead I come here

to make a public apology

an apology to me.

Dear woman, I am sorry

that I ever believed the lie

that you are not ‘equal’

not just to a man

but to anyone else on this level ground

I am sorry that I have sold you short

to a system that has tried

to silence you

I am sorry that I have second guessed your better judgement

Your innate intuition

Your profound ability to

FEEL the world around you

I am sorry that I have fought too hard

to lay aside your femininity

that is your strength

in order to appear “equal”

Equality is not found in

position or right.

Dear woman. You ARE equal.

I’m sorry I have not believed in you enough

So that you ever thought for one moment

that strength is in position

or weight

or muscle

I am sorry for being ashamed

of your ******* and your curves

or for selling your body to a belief

that your worth is contained inside your hips

and your lips

I am sorry for bending your spine

to be swayed by

the words of another

I am sorry for making you say “submission” like a bad taste in your mouth

without understanding its place, and its power

I’m sorry for allowing you to interpret the world

through your womanly insecurities.

I choose today not to blame,

not to point these fingers

at anyone, to say “you did this to me”,

I choose today to help myself stand

comfortably in my skin.

I choose today to love myself,

feed myself,

clothe myself

and wash myself

in the belief that

I can,

and I will.

I don’t need any mans or any ones permission

I don’t need the right

I don’t need an approving stamp.

I am a woman

and that is enough.

©2014ZoeRayTuckey

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