I was once in a boat
And around me was deep dark water
I couldn’t see the bottom
So when my boat sprung a leak
I thought it was over
And i jumped head first into the water
And started to swim
To where the stars pointed
Until i couldn’t
So I prepared to die
But I didn’t
Instead
I lived.

Her poetry is also about me
even though it isn't entirely true
there ís a fire in my belly

maybe it can be put out
but as long as it burns, it desires
the best of you

that does not lust after my beauty
to penetrate my lips
but is longing

for the best of me
the heavy whole, holy
and safe, my home

that I formed myself
from the metal of my body
and the silk of my spirit

I want you
to set your throat ablaze
and yell as loud as you can.

you are
                                               allowed
to be angry.

I want you
to sing
as we burn
our                                               problems
to ashes.

Cinderella did not teach me stand up against the wrong.
She did not teach me to be strong.
Katniss Everdeen did.
Aurora did not teach me that I don't need a man.
She did not teach me I am independent just as I am.
Cleopatra did.
Snow white did not teach me that real beauty has nothing to do with physical appearance.
She didn't teach me self love or acceptance.
Winnie Harlow did.
Ariel did not teach me to resist and fight.
She didn't teach me to raise my voice for what is right.
Malala did.
Ashley Graham gave me confidence.
Michelle Obama gave me inspiration.
Tris Prior taught me sacrifice.
Hermoine Granger showed me it's not only boys who can fight.
Nikita Gill taught me I am enough even without a man.
Joan of Arc showed me I can do anything he can.

Let's read to our girls stories of such badass, incredible, fierce and confident women.
Instead of stories where they are painted weak and can't do without men.
Let us teach them that they are powerful, they are strong.
And anyone who tells them different is wrong.
Let's read them stories of brave, heroic women instead of ones where they are shown weak and helpless.
Let's teach them to be warriors and not some princess.

Machiavellian in the way you step
Sultry temptations
Slow drag on the coffin nail called life
Slight correlation
How sweet for the world to bend for you
Scuffed to the knees
With a smile reminiscent of crocodile
She walks dangerously
At threat in every sense of the word
Fluent in her wiles
Innovation in internal investigation
Transcends the mile
Deliberate in the introspective
Oil and grease the machine
Poised and confident to represent her perspective
Effectively

That is a feminist point of view

born a sinner,
under crescent moons
and among chants of "talaq, talaq, talaq"
forced to hide behind a star studded veil to be preserved against blood thirsty eyes
glass bangles and silverware replaced the dolls in her hands and the fairyland of her dreams
led on a rose colored path, and into a gold painted cage marked marriage
greedy scars crafted by her lover marred the canvas of her body
only punctured fairy blue wings and dying embers of an electric soul remain
but she rises from the ashes,
sits on her velvet throne
and adorns the bejeweled crown
she reclaims the legacy of her goddess mothers,
durga and cleopatra
this time you don't get to see our strained faces,
this time you don't get to mock the dying fire of our eyes
because now,
we know our rights.
now we're armed with spears of knowledge.
we're the queens of our own kingdoms, unique in our reigns.
we were supposed to be treated like flowers, right?
but you threw us into the mud of your crimes
and we bloomed like lotuses,
reckless and vivacious.
we earned it all.              
                    - standing beside, not against

She did not know
if she had been cut from birth
or if they had done it to her
when she was just a child,
barely old enough to remember, shrouded
her in the stinking, clingy breaths of obedience
until she had learned
to succumb to the robotics, to finally
trash her emotions,
crush them to ashes.

Perfection was hard to maintain.

From the time she was young,
You taught her other girls were her conpetition.
Being better, prettier, more beautiful than other girls you told her was her goal.
You taught her to judge people by their appearance rather than what's in their souls.
Had you taught her to stand by and support other girls the world would've been better.
If you would've taught her the strength of her voice rather than that of sparkles and glitter.
Instead of teaching her to push other girls out of the way to make it to the top,
Teaching her to stand with them would have been enough.
Teaching her that when they are together they are stonger.
That in their unity lies power.
Instead of teaching her to knock other girls' crowns down and being princess alone,
Maybe you should've taught her by fixing each other's crowns and standing together,
They would be queens and rule the world.