“Pride”
We must talk to older women
The ones who have lived their lives
Remind ourselves how we explored Tokyo with a black eye
How we walked the streets of New York City alone
How we put our feet in the black sand beaches of Hawaii
How we hiked across active volcanos
How we made homes out of clay
How we fought to survive
How we fumbled and let men try to make us less than
How they interrupted when we talked about our independence with pride
How the world has beaten us down
But how many times have we gotten back up
Dear hearts we are not weak
We are soft and kind
We remind men of their faults
Trying to make the world better
Reinforced when we listen to each others stories
When we acknowledge the bad men who let us down
When we stand up and say “Enough!”
And they try to put us down
We reach down and lift each other up
Because they hate our hearts
Our demands for truth and justice
Not because we are weak or wrong
Because they can’t face their own self image
The ones filled with shame and misogyny
The ones with power and pride at their fingertips
We try to soften to help them live better lives
But they find body parts to grab at too enticing
So we walk away
After being beaten
Knowing this world is evil
But our job is not done
Our truth is powerful and our worth is not defined
By their lack of respect
Leave a Reply