Sunni Patterson’s “Wild Women” was transformational, to say the least. The words came to life as she spoke them and delivered little goosebumps all up and down my limbs. This poem has been in my and my mother’s life for the past few years and has provided an uplifting energy every single time we tune in.
My mother and I have gone through rough times but always were able to take shelter in each other. She is my rock, and I am hers. This poem illustrates the strength of a woman and all that she can handle. Wild women are not made to be tamed, and that is something that all women should know. They shouldn’t have to make themselves any less for anyone.
The poem does a lot more than just uplifting—there is a huge message to women. The first time I heard it, I wasn’t really searching deep for a meaning. But after hearing it for a few years, I have taken Patterson’s wisdom into my own life. I do identify as non-binary now, but for most of my life, I identified as a woman. The wisdom Sunni shared allowed me to see the sh*t that women have to deal with every day. The small things that, to this day, are ignored.
It was ridiculous to be in a group of girls who put a lot of work and thought into fighting for what they believed in and then watch nothing change as a result. After a few weeks of the same behavior from faculty, I went home and watched the Sunni’s TED talk again. I wanted to do more, but it was over, and I had to accept the loss. Now, being in college and able to wear whatever I want, I feel truly free to express myself. It makes me wonder how different kids would be if we were constantly able to express ourselves in school and with our peers.
Sunni Patterson’s “Wild Women” ignited such a fire in me three years ago. I don’t think that I even knew that I was capable of being so passionate about an issue. But because of the words “Wild women, they open portals to new worlds, new speech, new dreams.” I was introduced to the power that women possess. It made me think: if they had the power, imagine what would get done, the success they would achieve and the lives that would be changed.