Woman
angelic, but
daring. Complex and
pragmatic. Clever and dreamy.
A being, to respect and whorship
never static, a manufacturer of zeal
Yet, subdued, forgotten, broken, hurt!
Your fiery nature extinguished
by a culture of scarcity
by expectations
by: I ought to
I should, I have to
I need to, I must, I could,
by: You had better, You might want to
check your sanity, lose a little weight, become a mother
be more curvy, have a girl, then a boy, a hybrid if need be
cook like a chef, fuck like a pornstar, have a perfect family
become famous, look incredible, have the ideal job
hike and give speeches, be sexy and assertive
hit the gym 24/7, clean the house, do yoga
be diplomatic and sensitive, get a boob job
volunteer, write a book, get fuller lips
be self-confident, be a natural
but be perfect, bitch!
don’t try too hard, though
be yourself
forge dopplegangers.
You’re never enough
and you can never be
in this society!
Everyone from everywhere 
Love it…. women are beautiful
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, a bit experimental. It is a lot of fun to play with words. I will create another one in which I will focus more on women’s resilience and power.
LikeLike
It could be experimental but amazing in itself. I guess the things we don’t think much about are always the most amazing in retrospect…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed. I guess we should reflect more upon our everyday existence. It is the biggest resource for creation.
LikeLike
I loved this! Beautiful expression for women!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! Your appreciation makes me happy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
love the energy, no holding back !
LikeLiked by 2 people
Glad you liked it! I strive to please!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great rhythm and energy!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! I appreciate it.
LikeLike
So well said. As women, we are never good enough–even at our best and strongest selves.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Indeed. I do think that unrealistic social and cultural Expectations affect men as well and I am sure they do have these thoughts of not being good enough. But as a woman I can describe better my feelings in a poem about women.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do all of this, and you shall be – hmm, not bad! 😀 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha, well…Everyday, I wake up and before breakfast I imagine I can do six impossible things like Alice did in her wonderland.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re half way there before breakfast! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is beautifully written, and I love how you made the outline of the poem’s words curvy, like how a woman is expected to fill this perfect mould! I agree that women have a lot of expectations, to be perfect in every way. It’s a lot of pressure, and often one that we absorb from society but then place on ourselves.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am over the moon that you noticed the outline. Thank you so much! That was my intention, the aesthetic isn’t perfect, but I will try to play with this in the future until I get it right. I agree with you that the most problematic part is that women tend to internalize the expectations and pressures placed on them by society.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes I did too!!! It’s commendable ❤️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great! Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! I thought it came across very well, it is subtle but once you notice it, you can’t unsee it 🙂 yes women do tend to internalise the pressures, and it then becomes difficult to tell if these pressures are truly what we want or not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How beautifully explained! We are never enough! If you do good at your job, you are not a great housekeeper. If you stay at home, you are not self dependent. If you do both, ughh you suck at both! I mean what do we do?? It’s so tiring to having to prove every time everywhere that you are good enough. Even then, you are not good enough 😒
LikeLiked by 3 people
Find ‘your’ own zen not the zen others tell you that you must have.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I had no intention of saying that we should not or cannot find our own ways of rising above these societal or psychological expectations. We can definitely find our own zen, but sometimes we need to be able to observe the cage we are trapped inside before we can start breaking it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Solid copy, ma’am.
LikeLike
Yes!!!!❤️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Indeed. All the pressure and expectations that weigh us down in reality are impossible to achieve. We should become paradoxes ourselves if we want to be everything at once. Unfortunately, these issues extend all throughout society and stem in part from a neoliberal system where a human being can and should be managed until it reaches an idealized and perfect version of itself.
LikeLiked by 2 people
True! It’s been there in our society for so long… That sometimes you don’t even feel that it’s an unrealistic expectation.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Interesting. What is the meaning of doppelgangers in the context of your poem?
LikeLiked by 2 people
The meaning would be of women looking exactly like you that can replace you at your job, in the gym, at home, while you are busyw doing some other activity that is expected of you or that you expect of yourself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the prompt response.
LikeLike
Women are often expected to be perfect… judgements never end. Well penned
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly. Women have to go through an invasion of expectations everyday.
LikeLike
Awesome piece! Let’s hear it for the girls! We’re often held to a double standard! But I wouldn’t trade being a woman for anything! I celebrate my femininity!
Thank you for posting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading and enjoying it!
LikeLike
I like how the shape of the text forms a curvy silhouette. Great piece!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks a lot!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great piece… enjoyed the rhythm
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the rhythm of this piece. You made it look easy – which is a skill in itself.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Happy to hear your words
LikeLike
I nominated you for the sisterhood of the world blogger award
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you!
LikeLike
You welcome
LikeLike
Love your poem! It is sad that society creates this double image of women. You have shown it very well in your poem..
Dwight
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am very pleased you liked my poem. Indeed, the pressure that society has us under is enormous.
LikeLiked by 1 person