This is a poem inspired by a series of self-portraits taken as part of a separate project. The self portraits feature aspects of traditional attire from my culture alongside an expressionless face to showcase how these traditional garments, despite outwardly appearing beautiful, can still be used as a tool of oppression for women. This poem was inspired by this concept, and I used a combination of things I have noticed within my culture and society as well as other things I have personally experienced or witnessed.
She is a girl
With a fire in her soul
And a need
Burning
Consuming
Inextinguishable
To change
The world
With a fire in her soul
And a need
Burning
Consuming
Inextinguishable
To change
The world
She is a girl
With dreams in her eyes
And a vision
Of the world
At peace
And of her
Standing
On top of it
With dreams in her eyes
And a vision
Of the world
At peace
And of her
Standing
On top of it
She is a girl
With too many questions
And not enough answers
And not enough time
To find them
Before she is brought back
Inside the house
And is told that
Girls
Did not
Could not
Should not
Change the world
With too many questions
And not enough answers
And not enough time
To find them
Before she is brought back
Inside the house
And is told that
Girls
Did not
Could not
Should not
Change the world
She is a girl
With anger in her heart
As she watches
The boys she played with
Turn into men
And she sees the world pour itself
Into their hands
Into their mouths
Into their command
And she wonders
What she did so wrong
That the world won't do
The same
For her
With anger in her heart
As she watches
The boys she played with
Turn into men
And she sees the world pour itself
Into their hands
Into their mouths
Into their command
And she wonders
What she did so wrong
That the world won't do
The same
For her
She is a girl
With defiance in her blood
Her blood
Which boils
And burns
And sings
The song of fury
As she is told
She will no longer
Continue to go
To school
Because now
Now she must learn
How to make a home
How to build a family
And she cannot understand
Why men
Did not need
This skill
Which was seemingly
So important
It eclipsed the need
To learn
And ask questions
And find answers
And to change
The world
With defiance in her blood
Her blood
Which boils
And burns
And sings
The song of fury
As she is told
She will no longer
Continue to go
To school
Because now
Now she must learn
How to make a home
How to build a family
And she cannot understand
Why men
Did not need
This skill
Which was seemingly
So important
It eclipsed the need
To learn
And ask questions
And find answers
And to change
The world
She is a girl
No
She is a woman now
With numbness in her bones
As she nods to every question
Her future in-laws ask her
As if she is at an interrogation
For a crime she did not commit
As she hears her mother’s voice
In her ear
Telling her
Not to let her veil fall
Off of her head
And to keep herself
Covered
Telling her
To keep her eyes downcast
To keep her voice quiet
To keep her dreams hidden
As she feels the eyes
Of the man
She is to marry
Burning a hole
Into her skin
With his contempt
No
She is a woman now
With numbness in her bones
As she nods to every question
Her future in-laws ask her
As if she is at an interrogation
For a crime she did not commit
As she hears her mother’s voice
In her ear
Telling her
Not to let her veil fall
Off of her head
And to keep herself
Covered
Telling her
To keep her eyes downcast
To keep her voice quiet
To keep her dreams hidden
As she feels the eyes
Of the man
She is to marry
Burning a hole
Into her skin
With his contempt
She is a woman
With nothing
Nothing
Except
The voices
Telling her
What she is doing wrong
What her mother
Failed to teach her
What she is incapable of
What she will never learn
Telling her
She is at fault
For her husband’s rage
His anger
His temper
His unhappiness
His malice
Telling her
If only
She had been born
A boy
She wouldn’t have to
Suffer
Such abuse
With nothing
Nothing
Except
The voices
Telling her
What she is doing wrong
What her mother
Failed to teach her
What she is incapable of
What she will never learn
Telling her
She is at fault
For her husband’s rage
His anger
His temper
His unhappiness
His malice
Telling her
If only
She had been born
A boy
She wouldn’t have to
Suffer
Such abuse
She is a woman
Who once had everything
Everything
Except the right
To make something
Of herself
The right
To follow
Her dreams
To listen
To her heart
To envision
The world
As it would have been
Could have been
Should have been
Had she been given
A chance
To
Change it
Who once had everything
Everything
Except the right
To make something
Of herself
The right
To follow
Her dreams
To listen
To her heart
To envision
The world
As it would have been
Could have been
Should have been
Had she been given
A chance
To
Change it
She is a woman
With a fire in her soul
A fire
Which was once
Burning
Consuming
Inextinguishable
But now slowly
Begins
To
Die
Until there is
Nothing left
But
Ash
With a fire in her soul
A fire
Which was once
Burning
Consuming
Inextinguishable
But now slowly
Begins
To
Die
Until there is
Nothing left
But
Ash