Woman

I don't want to be admired,
Paintings are admired,
And then left to collect dust,
And fade slowly in some dark room,

I don't want to be sought after like trinkets or gold,
Many a person has been driven mad doing just that,
I am not a treasure hidden away,
I am right here- all of me,

I don't want to be won,
I am not some cheap prize,
I am not a trophy to be kept on a shelf,
I am worth much more than that,

I don't want to be conquered,
I am not a territory for you to claim,
But all you seem to know,
Is that where your hands roam is yours- and yours alone,

I am full of life,
Capable of love and trust,
Capable of war and destruction,
Capable of creation,

I am not a game for you to play when life bores you,
Or an experiment when you need to shake things up,
Or a punching bag when you see fit,
I won't stand to be anything less than what I am,

I am a woman.

By: Alyssa