I am a woman
His daughter
His mother
His wife

I am a woman
And I am forgotten
Shadowed by dominance
Aggression and force

I am a woman
Misunderstood
Mistreated
And repeatedly crushed

I am a woman
I am restrained and restricted
I have no voice
No dreams
And no identity

I am a woman
Labeled as emotional
Unstable
And lack the mental capacity

But I am tired of being that woman

Because
I am strong and independent
Caring, and nurturing

Because
I have dreams
And a voice
Stop, and listen

Treat me with
Respect
And love
Free me from this chain
Binding me to patriarchy

I am a woman
And I am capable
And intelligent
Understand me
Let me soar high above
To lift this world
And make it a better place

I am a woman
And I may be
His wife,
His daughter,
And his mother,
But I have an identity of my own
And the relationships do not
Define who I am

Because I am who I create myself to be