She is She

A poem I wrote for international women's day 2023.

She is She 

 

That girl once young, a mirror bound beauty, 

Whose command of colour is vibrant and visual, 

A painting hung pridefully in the family home, 

“Commendable really, for a girl your age.” 

 

That girl then aged, a complex comrade, 

In her brutal sport, bruises bandaged, 

Trophies lining that dusty, worn out shelf, 

“Commendable really, for a girl your age.” 

 

That girl now woman, in the vast reality, 

Job finders, harsh reminders, that she is a woman, 

Minimum wage, waitressing her soul, 

“Commendable really, for a girl your age.” 

 

That girl reborn, harnessed with hindsight, 

She's broken through that misconstrue,  

Her guiding hand leading through, 

She's breaking that cycle she once knew.