Renee Writes

Oh, little girl, step into your power.
You who were seen and not heard,
who asked no questions and
offered no opinions,
lest you be found obstinate and uppity.

Little girl, expert at lifting the rug with one hand,
sweeping discomfort under it with the other.
Feeling the presence of the elephant in the corner,
never glancing, never asking.
Expert at pretending, ignoring, silencing
your own curious, questioning mind.

Little girl who knew her place,
learned to mend things: skirts and shirts and
others’ torn hearts.
Learned to clean up messes,
and once tidied up, never look back.
What’s cleaned should be forgotten.
Until next time, then you clean again.

But oh! Look at you now!
Decades of learning and shaping your
own soft heart and pliable mind
into things formidable.
You stand on the safe banks of life,
where you are mild and acceptable
as long as you don’t step out of line.
Carrying all the wisdom of your years,
your tears, your long grappling battles
with the demons of your past to earn
the right to be fierce,
to speak a truth that reverberates.

Now is the time, little girl.
Be brave.
The world needs your voice.
Step into your power.