Unabridged - a poem

Since the day she was born she has been told to sit down, be quiet, don’t fuss.

Since the day she could walk she has been told to slow down, don’t run, be careful.

Since the day she could write she has been told to be sparing with her words, be considerate, be polite, be appropriate.

Since the day she could see injustice she has been told to apologise, respect authority, do what she is told to do, told she doesn’t understand, told that others know better.

Since the day she could think for herself she has been told what to believe, how to be, who to emulate, who not to adore, to have blind faith, sacrifice, be cautious, don’t put her neck out, don’t stand above the crowd, don’t be on show.

Since the day she could love another she has been told to not be needy, be less emotional, be more obliging, be less intimidating, to put everyone else first, be forgiving, be whatever others need her to be, stop being so fucking scary.

Since the day she could protest she has been told to shut up, that she didn’t matter, that her voice didn’t count, her opinion was worthless, that no-one cared, that she was too emotional, too passionate, too fucking sexy to be taken seriously

Since the day she could earn her own way in the world she has been told he is better than her, she is worthless because she can bear children, her body is a flaw, her mind is too sharp, her wit is too tart, her skirt is too short, her hair is too long, her piercing make others uncomfortable, her curves are too sexual, her smile is too flirtatious.

Since the day she bore a child she has been told she should breast feed, shouldn’t breast feed, should work, should stay home, should not be educated, that her family’s emotional state is her fault, should earn more money, that her children are too quiet, too unruly, too intelligent, too outspoken, too much like their mother.

One day she woke up and realised that all of these shoulds and shouldn’ts didn’t actually belong to her.

One day she decided to be wild, be intoxicating, be confrontational, be demanding, be compassionate, be kind, be love, be bewilderingly intelligent, be dangerous, be adventurous, be spirit, be irrational and rational in one breath, be frightening, be passion, be honesty, be eye-wateringly sensual, be overt, be open and talk about her feelings, be stunningly, sensationally, spectacularly alive in the moment.

One day she chose to be unabridged.