Best Poems Written by Melissa Ling

Reflection of the Woman

We are exploited in a stagnant society.
I REFUSE to adhere to the notion that
WOMEN. ARE. STRONG.
But this is a fact:
The rusty shackles of tradition bind our delicate hips and necks, thin wrists and ankles.
My mother says that
LIFE. IS. UNFAIR.
I will NOT welcome the idea that
this time, patriarchy and stereotypes and gender roles can be stopped by our raw power.
I believe that
we are merely beauty, child-bearers, physical disadvantages, cooks, household confinement.
NO longer can it be said that
FREEDOM. IS. ATTAINABLE.
I now know that
I am characterized by DAUGHTER, EMOTIONAL, WEAK, GO WEAR SKIRTS, BECOME PRETTY,
Because
I am below the strong male that can control with the very snap of his fingers.
I will never again cling to the idea that
THERE. IS. HOPE. FOR. US. 

But the truth is in reverse (read the poem from the bottom line to the top).

Copyright © Melissa Ling | Year Posted 2015