Am Still a Woman

Am Still a Woman?

Am I still a woman if unloved by a man?

Not my father, not my pastor, especially not by him.

Am I still a woman if belief in the feminine divine wanes,

If tears are woven by other women, and lies between us remain?

Am I still a woman if never truly needed,

If barely wanted in the spaces I've pleaded?

Am I still a woman if not small in stature,

Filling rooms with clutter, battling self-censure?

Am I still a woman if not petite in design,

Unable to fit in places meant for me to align?

Am I still a woman when engulfed by solitude,

Feeling utterly alone, misunderstood?

When the sun sets, face unwashed and bare,

Brush forgotten; life's pace slowed with care.

Am I still a woman if my stomach's silent growl,

If the bracelet lingers, a quiet howl?

Am I still a woman when I cry so hard I can't walk,

Eyes puffy, hair burdened by loss and talk?

Unable to comply with rules once taught,

Fearful of intimacy, emotions scattered and sought.

Knocked-down walls turning to mended fences,

Forced to forgive, life's complex expenses.

Am I still a woman despite it all,

In the face of adversity, standing tall?