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