Enough.

I would take ten years off my life
to be hot, considered pretty enough
confident that people will respect me
able to walk into a room and have everyone turn
what is wrong with our society that we must
starve, define, hate ourselves
because it would make life easier
to capture attention, not a sight for sore eyes
for a promotion, opportunity, a chance at love
what if we were attracted to our potential
didn’t sacrifice parts of who we are
burn them on a stake to feel beautiful
accepted, to have a sense of belonging
does it make me a bad feminist to say these things
when I can not earn respect from my words alone
that a face has to match what I say out loud
my voice no longer sounds innocent
not taken seriously – I’m not hot enough
for you to waste your time on, to earn mere respect
in your presence, because I am not enough
lingering in your shadows of misogynist ways
physical attributes fade, don’t tell me to change
when I have to hear and witness your words
that cut me rotten to the bone next to my heart
I wish we cared for the things that matter
but I also want desperately, to be enough
to avoid glances of dissatisfaction
before you hear what I have to say.

Photo by Oleg Ivanov on Unsplash

Published: Medium

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