An Ode to the Men of This Patriarchal World

I think it’s cute that you think I should fear man, beast, and god,

Have you seen what I am made of?

I am made of the flesh and bone and blood of my mother,

And her mother,

And her mother’s mother,

And every mother that stretches back to the original, rebellious one.

Between my joints and limbs,

I carry fierceness and courage not unlike that of an Amazon warrior.

In my throat,

I have a voice that I use to scream to advocate for those who cannot.

I am knit together with kindness and strength—

Do not tell me they are different because to me,

They are the one and the same.

I have no man to fear except those who I let in—

And believe me, they are far and few between,

But I want to get to a point where that list is non-existent.

The beasts of this world are also called men, by men.

For they say that they cannot possibly control their urges

when I’m dressed like that,

wearing that shade of lipstick,

with that drink in my hand.

And god?

(Laughs)

To me, god is just another name for man, given by men.

He is a man who supposedly created my rebellious grandmother—

Oh, and I should mention that I mean Lilith, not Eve:

Lilith didn’t roll over when Adam commanded her to—

And set her below man, which he deemed as her place.

But as a woman, I am the daughter of the definition of rebellion.

Honey, you should fear me.

_______________

Originally penned February 26, 2020.