To become "her" - A poem
Apr 15, 2021
Story
to become her
most of us go through it the chaotic journey of becoming ‘her’
along with the “oh she will break many hearts”
and “can you please not spread those legs apart?”
you know, the souvenirs of presenting yourself, as a girl
every day is different
as we grow older,
we understand that choosing pants over a skirt
maybe it wasn’t because of the weather,
but because of those men at the street
that always stand together.
and how boys and girls
can not be just friends
thanks to the world that looks at us
through heterosexual lens.
we all phantasize about a world
where women bloom and don’t ache.
if only our gender identity was the only source of mistreat
but it goes further,
when the color of your skin is criminalized on the news,
or when a disability makes you lose jobs interviews,
even getting your period seems unfair
when you can not even afford tissues
nevertheless, ‘becoming her’ is beautiful
being a woman starts when you feel like one, it is not related to having a uterus.
it is a life time journey of hurting, understanding and learning.
those who stay around and speak up are as courageous
as others who did not.
we don’t fight the same fights
and no, it is not about what’s between my thighs,
it is about our reflection in societies eyes.
(I found the courage to take part on this project, sharing one of my poems, I usually write poetry in portuguese, so I apologize in advance for any bad rhymes or typos. This is a huge part of myself and I am so grateful to share with all of you amazing women.)
All my love, Isaura