Who have faced discrimination
Who are told
they are not enough
Who believe their differences
Make them inadequate
This is for my people
Who are treated without respect
Who fight to feel worthy
Who are surrounded by
people who think they know them
Based on stereotypes
This is for people
Who identify in the LGBT community
Who have a disability
Whose skin color isn’t white
Who can’t afford to go to school
Who are marginalized in the eyes of society
This is for my people
Who even though
Society says they’ll never be enough
Keep fighting
Who are breaking societal norms
Who know differences are something to cherish
This is for my people
Who are creating
New perspectives
Who are teaching minds and hearts with love not hate
Who are trying to change the world
This is for all the women in the world who want to change the norms
This is to remind ourselves that a woman should never be defined by what she wears, how she acts or what she does
A woman is defined by her heart, mind, and soul
How their spirit impacts the world
How she can empower others to rise up and understand
That all women are entitled to respect
This is for everyone who needs to be reminded that a woman is a fighter.
I wrote this poem based on the poem “This is for my people” by Margaret Walker. Her poem talks about slavery within Alabama. I interpreted my own based on the societal expectations and pressures placed on women in society. A society that has convinced us that there is a certain way as ‘women’ we should act. Tina Fey even says that we compete with one another. Why? We are not all in the same game. We are being placed against each other to tear each other down, when none of us want to. We are told we need to be the same, yet be better than the others. The only similarity women should share are their pronouns. How a woman identifies, expresses and acts is of her own choice. Society should not be telling us what makes us worthy, that is determined by us only. Which I hope this poem represents to all of you.
I love this! Too often women are lumped into one "female" category when in reality, we all have our own goals, ambitions, dreams, flaws, and quirks. I love the original poem and I feel like you definitely did it justice. "A woman is a fighter" is my new favorite phrase.
ReplyDeleteI literally almost busted into tears reading the poem, happy tears of course.
ReplyDeleteI loved every word of the poem and your message, very well done!
I absolutely loved your poem, especially the third stanza because it shows how women are all so different. However, they share a common trait: their struggles as women! Also, your final 7-line stanza is beautiful because it beautifully illustrates that women are not defined by what is seen, but truly what we are on the inside and our spirit that drives us on. Ultimately, it's all so perfect! (Please share some more poems, please! :D)
ReplyDeleteMan, I'm a sucker for poetry, and I LOVED this! Thanks for writing a poem about breaking societal norms while also experimenting with the setup of your blog!
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