I make myself quiet,
and I make myself small
because that is what I
am supposed to be.
I cast the illusion
of being fragile as a petal,
ready to be plucked and stepped on
I am female, therefore,
not important.
I must blend in, sit up,
look pretty, shut up.

I cannot fight, no,
because I am supposed
to be soft,
but chastised
for not speaking up.
I smile through depression,
I shake through anxiety,
but you wouldn’t know,
because I am female,
I am not supposed to
raise my voice or speak my mind

I am born, and from day one,
I am blinded,
bright, glaring expectations,
laid out for me.
Rules we tell on the playground.
Boys will be boys and
if he hits you, he likes you.

So we grow up,
being told abuse
is the norm.
He hit her, he loves her,
why wouldn’t he?
She took the blame,
she made herself small,
tried to do what I was supposed to.

And then she left and he hit me,
so I left.
We stood up.

I will not be quiet,
not until rape is no longer funny,
not until I hear
a rape trial ending with
“Did he rape her”
or “Did she rape him”
instead of “You sould
drink less”
of “Cover up more.”
and women aren’t the only ones
who can be abused.
I will not be silenced,
until I can marry
the person I love,
no matter the gender,
no matter the race,
But these are in our
vast future
But I will not be

SILENCED

I am a voice in a crowd,
one standing on a chair,
and maybe others
will hear me.

I don’t hate men,
I hate that they must conform
to bogus standards,
or else they
can turn into victims
in a reaping.

When a boy
can dance ballet,
and a girl can play football,
and not be labeled,
I will not be silenced,
Because inequality will
still exist.

But I am told
I don’t exist.
Asexuals and
Transgenders
are with me;
Demisexual panromantic,
I am me,
and I will never
quiet down.

I exist,
I am real,
and you can never silence me.