Sorry, Not Sorry
The fabulous community @teamgirlpowa is hosting a poetry contest with the theme of Feminist Fire. I haven't really written a lot of poetry but have felt a lot of feminist fire. I have always considered myself a proud feminist. It has only been in the last few years that I've started to hear a substantial backlash to that word. Well, lemme tell you. I refuse to let other people define that word for me. I am a feminist because I believe women should be treated equally. I'm a feminist because I believe the world should honor and respect feminine traits and gifts. I'm a feminist because my boys should be allowed the full range of their emotions, as well as skirts. I'm a feminist because it's time to end the patriarchy and start respecting the marginalized and our planet. I will not back down from that. And as I get older, I just get more fiery. I just feel my power a little stronger. I stand with my sisters always.
Thank you, @teamgirlpowa for holding a space for intersectional feminists and for hosting this contest. Thanks also to the judges.
I'm Sorry.
Did I not jump high enough?
Not clarify myself in your preferred language?
Not cite enough sources
To verify my own
Fucking existence?
My experience and the experiences of my sisters?
I'm Sorry.
Was I talking over
Your interruption?
No, please, go ahead.
I'm sure what you need to say is
More important.
I'll wait.
I'm Sorry.
You’re surely right.
Here I am wasting my life away
Just raising
The next generation of
Thoughtful, loving, powerful, intelligent, anarchist, intersectional feminists.
What a waste.
I'm Sorry.
I’m sure you know more
About what I’ve spent years researching.
I'm sure your experiences are
More accurate.
Why, yes, your command of words does make my clitoris tingle!
Pretentious assholes always make me hot.
I'm Sorry.
Was I talking about my body as though I own it?
Speaking my own sexuality?
How about flowing blood, power of creation?
Let’s talk about that one minute more.
We’ll get right back to tits and ass
And how they sell hot dogs and motorcycles.
Im so fucking Sorry.
Did I get angry?
Here, let me put on my happy face
And stroke your
Ego.
I'll remember to always be soft, gentle, quiet
From here on out.
I'm Sorry.
Did we talk about the marginalized for a minute?
I promise we’ll get right back to
Generals, wars, presidents, and capitalists,
A.K.A. perpetrators, rapists, murderers, and thieves.
It must hurt to speak of it.
Wouldn’t want you to feel pain.
Oh, wait.
I’m not sorry anymore.
Get your head out of your ass.
Our people and our planet are dying.
Yes.
I am a bitch.
But I'm not your bitch!
I'm a member of @teamgirlpowa, @ecotrain, and @steemmamas. Check them all out!
All pics from Pixabay
When the last line of your writing takes it home. There are so many views that paint a negative image of feminism—what a woman should be like and tolerate. We are the same as men, with our own weaknesses, but more importantly stregnths!
I'm not sorry either, what a fucking excellent post :D
I'm so glad you liked it. I really want to shift these ideas about feminism, but even more importantly I want women to remember their power.
The only power is what we give out, and there's nothing natural with a female being submissive to another human. It was a viciously delicious read mama, the pleasure was mine <3
Truly. For far too long we've given our immense power away. No more!
💕
I love this, especially how you repeated the phrase “I’m sorry” over and over again...which is such a common and problematic behavior that so many of us ladies feel obliged to carry out. I have to consciously make myself stop apologizing sometimes...this year my friend came up with the idea of a “tip jar” for herself in 2018 where she puts a quarter in every time she apologizes unnecessarily. Ha.
I'm so glad you liked it. For the most part, I only say sorry sarcastically, but bringing attention to that was definitely part of my intention. That's an awesome idea your friend has.
I'm sorry, but I just upvoted you will all I've got.
Joe
@joe.nobel
science fiction, fantasy, erotica
Apology and upvote accepted! Thanks, friend.
that word was supposed to be "with".
I figured. I'm good at reading between the lines ;)
This. Is. Fucking. BRILLIANT!!!
I've spent so much of my life apologizing unnecessarily, including in instances when it should rightfully have been the other party apologizing, and for what? Simply due to the programming I internalized growing up in this society.
I'm blessed in that Marek calls me out on it, and any time he catches me saying "I'm sorry," his usual response is "You're welcome," which serves to make me more aware of how often I do it without thinking.
And I have become far more aware of how often I hear it from other women as well, apologizing without thinking for being close to me in the aisle, when they have every bit as much right to be there as I; are we really apologizing for taking up space? For existing in the first place?
We women are so programmed to take responsibility, even for things we have had nothing whatsoever to do with, to the point that we pick up the yoke by rote, simply because we have become so used to doing so.
No more.
Yes! No more, indeed! Thank you for doing the healing work! And bless your partner for being a cooperative component! Thanks so much for this awesome comment!
You're welcome! Thanks so much for your awesome post!
Yes Yes Yes I feel the fire, This is so fecking great, I love it. This is exactly what needs to be said, so much raw power, well done mama this has put a massive smile on my face xxx
Thank you so much, mama! I'm really glad you liked it. There was definitely a lot of power in that one. I think I have had some shit festering a good while.
Thanks for your entry! 😄
Thanks for judging! I was so glad for an opportunity to try something sorta new in a supportive community.
Love this one so much!! Powerful!
Thank you so much! That means a lot. It's still a little scary to put this voice out in the world.
Yes I can understand that. I am working on my own power in the world myself and see which reactions I get, but when we start to believe in ourselves we are unstoppable! 😉❤
That is truly the key. I've come into my power in a big way lately, and it's absolutely thrilling.
That sounds so exciting dear!!