I have recently been thinking about what it means to be a woman today, and how my personal experience has been. A poem I wrote about the plight of the every day woman:
The Plight of the Everyday Woman
Double standards left and right,
seems like there is no end in sight.
“Can’t do this or that” they say,
as they assign judgments all day.
“Act like a lady.”
“Good girls don’t do that.”
“You’re pretty good, for a girl.”
“You can’t wear that.”
“That’s a man’s job.”
“Stop being so emotional.”
“You fight like a girl.”
I was not born for you.
You can’t tell me what to do.
I’m full of power and might,
and I will pick my own fight.
I am a strong force of will,
who can conquer all, but still…
All the pressure weighs me down,
making it hard not to drown.
Things I hear go to my head,
tainting all my thoughts with dread.
“What if they think this of me?”
and “How will I be perceived?”
So what does it mean to be
a woman in today’s society?
It’s a lot of give, no take,
and constant work with no break:
Give yourself to the world.
Let others tell you how to be a girl.
Let them put you in a box,
and try to sell you out like stocks.
All the blame is placed on you.
Who’ll believe your words as true?
Achievements go down the drain,
as someone else claims your fame.
It seems as if all hope’s gone,
no sight of the light at dawn.
But one small sliver of light
survives and shines through the night.
The fire cannot be put out,
growing bigger in the drought.
A trail has been set ablaze,
lighting the path to better days.
People from far and wide,
coming together to ally,
creating a better world,
for every woman and girl.
