cheers to every strong and independent woman
out there in the open,
she who faces excruciating dilemmas
with a classic wink.

cheers to the most lethal lady
who does not need a man to define her self worth,
yet still glues her feet to the ground
for she acknowledges their mighty presence.

cheers to the brave young girl
who stands her ground
for she is made of gold,
a true champion amidst those who defy her.

cheers to the innocent little kid
playing around the park,
for we get the most genuine smile
that makes our day brighter.

cheers to the most hardworking single mother,
she who fights a bear as a lioness.
taking no jabs from anyone
whilst the humility and compassion in her still remain.

cheers to the mother who is in a father figure,
she who does not let society define her capabilities.
for she raises her children right,
God-fearing, respectful, and loving.

cheers to the women of the world,
for every single one has played an important role.
ladies, you do not need to rely on someone else’s protection
for you carry your own shields and deadly swords.

And she said
Don’t bleach your hair
If it makes you feel pretty
Or wear high heels
You’re already tall
Enough
You might take up s. P. A. C. E.

She said
A woman shouldn’t be loud
Or too confident
Because that might be threatening
To someone
Who?
Like I grew claws

And she said
Don’t think too much
How can you run a home
With your head in the clouds
To dream is to dare
Forbid it
Daring isn’t ****

How dare I

I’ve never been the right kind of girl,
Too mean because I don’t smile often,
Too fake when I laugh,
Too skinny because I don’t have *****,
Too fat when I can no longer squeeze into my old jeans,
Too quiet because I don’t voice my opinions,
Too loud when I speak my mind,
Too obliging because I follow orders,
Too stubborn when I make a stand.
You see,
We will never be the right kind of girls,
Nor do we have to be.
We are too much of everything,
That we can’t be labeled,
Put into societally standardized boxes.
Like the sun,
We can’t be contained.
Like a flower,
We can bend with the wind and still not snap.
Like a blade of grass,
We can be trampled on,
And still survive.

I can’t braid hair,
I trip over my own feet when I walk in heels,
I don’t paint my nails,
I have no idea how to do makeup.
But yes,
I am a woman.

Because being a woman is not wearing a tight skirt,
Hem above knees.
Flash a little skin,
Don’t be a *****.
Cover those up,
You ****.
Being a woman is not keeping your mouth shut,
Obedient at his feet,
Looking pretty.
Put pretty on your resume,
Put a smile on that face.

No,
Being a woman is building a home out of closed doors,
Bridging wage gaps with sticks and stones,
Thrown your way,
Finding healing where there was none,
Enduring the pain of a new life emerging from your womb,
Giving and forgiving,
Giving till the jar is empty.

My sisters,
You have so much more to offer,
To share with the world.
So don’t settle for pretty,

Never settle.

I am made by your opinions, not skin.
I am polite as i am vulnerable. And i am quite when your bass speaks.
I cover up as men stare,lustfull eyes look if your skin is too bare.
I dress to impress,I cannot be a mess.
If i am too lean i am anorexic, If i am too chubby i am fat.
If i wear specs,i must surely play chess.
If i walk with my head held high my ego is too big.
If i look into your eyes I'm probably overconfident.
If i see your flaws i am too judgmental.

I am a woman, not of skin but of your words.

It would be unfair to allow you to move forward
as I'm stuck here in our memories
It would be a great unjustice
to allow your heart to be whole as mine remains shattered from your slippery hands
I meant what I said on that very first night
you'll never forget a girl like me
you see holding a girl with fire as a heart
keeps you warm but when it burns it's sure to leave a scar
I want you to know I won't let you forget me
I'll lace myself in every past memory
I'll connect my heart into every relationship you dare to hold
Maybe I should've warned you that girls like me have a bite louder than their bark and when we snarl
we mean business
If I were you I'd keep your eyes wide
because I solemnly swear
I'll never abandon you from sight
every corner you turn
every time you glance over your shoulder
the remains of a girl once loved by you will remain
I won't be easy to dust off your shoes
just remember my love
you were the man who dared
to love a girl like me
and it was your mistake to promise a forever
to a girl who would believe you

There is a pit that has made a home in my stomach
it's been living there, growing there
since the day you laid your hands on me
the day you slid your hands to places they had no right to be
the night you took advantage of the position
you knew you had
ever since then there are words that make my head foggy
and there are boys who can put me **** close to cardiac arrest
just by looking
for a little too long
you called it miscommunication
you called it regret
you called it asking for it
I call it assault
I call it waking up at 3 AM every morning
in a cold sweat, another nightmare
I call it scrubbing myself raw every night in the shower
trying to rid of the skin cells your fingers grazed
I call it jumping whenever my kind boy reaches for my hand
out of love
you are a man made of dirt
you are a lion
so why are you preying on butterflies
I don't know when I allowed you to tear off my wings but I am reclaiming them
today.