[subtitles to the video]
The very first day, in the year her thought-filled orchard bloomed curiosity
This thriving, agile spirit murdered her own power; pressured by societal expectations, a broadcasted atrocity!
She held not the weapon but she blindly watched as programmed instructions ripped her freedom apart
A shrunken character branded by the words, “You can’t play there little girl!” startled by the rebuke, rendered disarmed with a broken heart
Her first of many “can’ts”, an epic intro to a chain of “girly” restrictions
A season premiere of the exciting encounters with misogynistic afflictions
She felt the weight of the world’s silly standards, led astray by limitations,
She allowed herself to accept cunning invitations
Now she sits among the negativity; perched, settled upon defeat, just passing the time; ignorant to opportunities, she resigned
An impressive record of hiding behind “nevers” just because her femininity was too loud! What was the saying? Oh yeah right; out of sight out of mind!
A young woman was designed, like an eagle; all my sisters, we were meant to soar!
But they looked at her and decided this one needs a shell; to be silenced, hidden, for all to ignore
So they built the house of misconceptions and it was growth proof
No fresh air, no room to stretch, “The sky is the limit!” ironic when she could not reach beyond this tough roof
A vision she could never have! Purposely driven to be or was it NOT TO BE
To vocalize her thoughts was a bold violation of The Inferior Creation Act chapter 101, She could not live, could not flourish, not worthy
To be included because she was a man with a womb, a womb-man; you feel me?
Reduced to a mannequin, her clothes were hand-picked by detailed glorified dress codes
She was dressed to accommodate their scoffing
To dress for herself was unrealistic, selfish, a frivolous concern compared to advocating for better roads?
Too many times she identified with the title, harlot
Dating around qualified her for this honorary shame; to be free to explore, SHE COULD NOT!
Her education was the limited edition; her choices were to learn to cook or clean
She was forced to be motivated by a curriculum so mean!
To work was a dream for some, to others a work meant belittlement
Rejected ideas, disregarded proposals, minuscule compensations, non-existing increment!
Warned not to use her pampered feet to maneuver a ball
Instructed to sit and watch because she lacked the “manpower” to carry a team; “NO NOT AT ALL”
Precious hands only good to hold pompoms, her specialty was wearing shorts
To cheer for not to be cheered for, a tragic reality for a woman; oh boy reality hurts
Shot down confidence, she was led; never a leader
Told to never use her own words; not even as a designated reader
The crowd preferred bass not soprano
A female voice, with them could not resonate but a male voice, they could surely follow
For decades, she was bullied to retreat
So she locked her hopes in a box, sold her voice for the back seat
Imprisoned in her subconscious mind, trapped in a cycle of labelled mediocrity
Waiting to be emancipated from this curse of willful, declared inability!
It was all a lost cause until she learnt to fight
Empowered by the blood rushing through her veins, she pushed with all her might
With no backup, she was knocked right off her feet
But she stood, wobbly legs, bruised will, thick skin, busted lips parted and declared SHE’S HERE FOR HER FRONT SEAT!
I AM NOT OBSOLETE
With a savage growl, she bared her teeth
Sharpened, ready to expose their deceit
Unlike any other, her tribe had to work overtime
To be seen, to be heard, to even dream in this lifetime
Driven by raw passion, she quit sleep to embark on a journey to redefine a woman’s value to society
A freedom fighter, writer, an advocate for a well-deserved equality
Blistering, sore hands, she mended torn dreams; for the future, she established absolute quality
No guidelines, she used creativity to innovatively convert a people who could not listen
She unapologetically reconditioned a stubborn crowd to christen
Her kind as powerful, free to be athletes, teachers
Reporters, carpenters, even preachers
She trained her people to be, to soar, to motivate
Leaped over barriers, broke limitations; for every standard, she called a debate
She shifted the atmosphere, demolished set standards and rebuilt a nation
Where girls impacted through a positive cultivation
Where a woman is called an inspiration
They promoted her voice NOT as a sexual sensation
Woman! She still fights to be
Completely
Totally
Utterly
Free from simplicity
To fill the social cavity
But she stands at a better place, leading with unobstructed ingenuity
To challenge this survivor is to try a solid amity
OFF with your head! She tolerates no animosity
Melissa Asregadoo is a passionate dancer and writer from Guyana. She also enjoys Korean dramas. Find her on Facebook Melissa Asregadoo and on Instagram @asre.mel