Not I

Am I to cower?

Boxed in by opressors who would have me shackled

Beat me down

and SCREAM

"you are not enough".

To have them place the world upon my shoulder

only for the weight to bring me crashing down.

Am I to listen?

to let them tell me 

over and over again,

in a vicious cycle that my worth is equated to success of my man

to clothes I display myself in,

to inspiration I claim.

Am I to stumble?

to fall and break ever bone in my body that is

yearning to bend and dance

freely in a world that is not my own.

Fear it seems,

has its grasp round our necks,

chocking us,

suffocating the flame that's burned in our souls and yet here we stand.

Up to concur another day,

to look our demons in the face and stare them down

while they wail their accusations.

That we are not pretty enough

smart enough

strong enough

kind enough

that we cannot love another because we have lost ability to love ourselves.

oh yes

we can be strong just as we can be weak

and I have been weak for far too long.

the next time my demons manifest

I will stare them down

and I will scream

Not I

I will now bow

I will not cower

and

I will not break.

Shackle me, beat me, tear me apart if you will

but you will not break me

Not I!