Not For Your Viewing Pleasure

This is my voice, no longer afraid to speak out

not for the people but with them.

I will not speak over them but as a part of them

a part of a puzzle, pieces lost and scattered.

Scattered across the globe like the light shatters,

Broken through a diamond.

Millions, billions of tiny pieces lost and found.

This is my voice, no longer afraid to speak out

for the women and children, young ladies and girls

who keep living and living

in desperation.

Desperation because our nation is holding us back,

is holding our tongues silent, lips... sealed.

Because they are afraid.

They are afraid of the little girl in the ribbon dress,

of the mother with a child on her hip.

Our voices are what they fear.

They fear our ability to stand up... speak out,

to fight them for our rights before theirs.

This is my voice, no longer afraid to speak out

but for far too long kept silent.

Hidden amongst the murmurs of equality, of equal opportunity.

Opportunities to be heard and the hear,

to hear what they felt and to feel what they fear.

Trapped beneath the thick glass ceiling

waiting, waiting, waiting.

This is my voice, no longer afraid to speak out

because we are not property to be owned

to be bought and sold, used and abused.

We are not just mothers or daughters, sisters or wives.

We are human beings demanding to be treated as such.

We will be heard, not just seen.

This is not for your viewing pleasure.

This is to correct and inform you

we will not conform or be controlled.

Our bodies are ours, our minds a palace

guarded against attacks vicious and brutal, physical and verbal.

We are strong and our voices loud,

ringing through your ears like a bell chiming twelve.

This is my voice, no longer afraid to speak out.

We are women and we will no longer be silent or stand down.