Read Time:3 Minute, 34 Second
regardless of how you
you want my milk and honey, and the ambrosia of my promised land; but you don't want to respect me or my dreams and ambitions— somehow you think i am inferior just because i am a woman, i don't know who taught you that; but it's more than high time you unlearned it for it's not true— women are not lesser than any men, and we should not be made to feel bad because we're too much of a woman or not a woman enough to meet someone's standards; who are you to tell anyone who they are? we define ourselves, and some women may not push back; others of us will— i know my magic and my power, and i won't waste my time on people who think they have any right to rule over me nor those who feel entitled to my time because no one owes you anything; and i will be who i am regardless of how you feel.
more than mere flesh and bone
women should be respected no matter what they wear or how they look, and they're not asking for it just because they're dancing or they dress a certain way; if you believe that it is a sin then you should remember that jesus said to pluck out your own eyes if you look at a woman with lust so go ahead and pluck out your eyes— women don't owe you anything, and we deserve to exist and achieve our dreams and aspirations and ambitions without being belittled for it; if you cannot respect a woman then perhaps you shouldn't speak to one because you clearly need to learn how to navigate yourself in the world as your parents never taught you properly— don't get mad at women for refusing you we want to be seen as something more than our mere flesh and bone, see us for our souls and hearts.
people have a right to exist
all my life
i have been afraid
of revealing
who i truly am
lest i be cut off from
those i love,
but i am tired of
lying to myself;
i am not straight
as an arrow like i always
told myself
simply to fit in—
i'm pan,
and i'm no longer ashamed
of it;
a person is valid no matter
their gender identity or sexuality—
no one should be hated
over something they cannot control,
we are all born as we are;
and if we are all made in God's image
then we are all beautiful
just as we are—
you cannot deny people their right
to exist simply because they do not
exist or believe in the things you do.
stop making people jump through hoops
a person shouldn't have to shrink themselves to fit in some construct others have built to make themselves feel better, a person shouldn't have to jump through hoops before someone cares about them; what is wrong with humanity that we will put on performative things to illuminate ourselves rather than to truly help those who are suffering? if you cannot help someone then the least you can do is not hurt them, isn't there already enough darkness and pain in this world? there need to be more dreams, less nightmares; help those that you can and be there for those you can be there for be true and be honest and communicate how you feel don't just disappear and ghost people because they made one choice you disagreed with if you don't like someone tell them but be kind— when we're all struggling to move forward the last thing we need is to be pulled back and forth in some mind game by someone we thought cared.
Linda M. Crate’s works have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies both online and in print. She is the author of seven poetry chapbooks, the latest of which is: the samurai (Yellow Arrow Publishing, October 2020). She’s also the author of the novel Phoenix Tears (Czykmate Books, June 2018). Recently she has published three full-length poetry collections Vampire Daughter (Dark Gatekeeper Gaming, February 2020), The Sweetest Blood (Cyberwit, February 2020), and Mythology of My Bones (Cyberwit, August 2020). She is on Facebook, on Instagram & on Twitter.
