Inspiring poetry about women from Year 8 writers
Beautiful Woman
I cover up
Conceal my flaws
Everything I do is hidden behind closed doors
I wish to myself every day,
That I can openly say
I’m me not an addition to you
But the words I say
They never get through
I am afraid to share my inner truth
Afraid that it’ll always be me
Afraid to walk in the dark
Or getting followed in the park
My beauty is not an invitation
Of what I can and can’t do
Nor are my flaws
Not what I should have to go through
I know it’s not just me
I cannot guarantee
That this world is a safe place
They say it happens to all women
And that I should put up with it
So I should just sit?
I stand for my rights
I’m sick and tired of fighting all these stereotypes
I stand for women,
For equality and peace
I will not stop
For I am independent
And so much more
Fern Collins-Wood, Y8
Conceal my flaws
Everything I do is hidden behind closed doors
I wish to myself every day,
That I can openly say
I’m me not an addition to you
But the words I say
They never get through
I am afraid to share my inner truth
Afraid that it’ll always be me
Afraid to walk in the dark
Or getting followed in the park
My beauty is not an invitation
Of what I can and can’t do
Nor are my flaws
Not what I should have to go through
I know it’s not just me
I cannot guarantee
That this world is a safe place
They say it happens to all women
And that I should put up with it
So I should just sit?
I stand for my rights
I’m sick and tired of fighting all these stereotypes
I stand for women,
For equality and peace
I will not stop
For I am independent
And so much more
Fern Collins-Wood, Y8
I am me
Everyone keeps telling me what I need to be
I need to have kids
I need to feed the kids
I need to clean the kids
I need to mend the kids
No I won't
Because I am me.
Everyone says I need to be perfect
I need to stay at home
I need to make dinner
I need to make his lunch
I need to get married
No I won’t
Because I am me.
Everyone says I need to change
I need to look from a different perspective
I need to iron
I need to care too much
I need to love
No I won’t
Because I am me
And that is enough.
Lauren Barr, Y8
I need to have kids
I need to feed the kids
I need to clean the kids
I need to mend the kids
No I won't
Because I am me.
Everyone says I need to be perfect
I need to stay at home
I need to make dinner
I need to make his lunch
I need to get married
No I won’t
Because I am me.
Everyone says I need to change
I need to look from a different perspective
I need to iron
I need to care too much
I need to love
No I won’t
Because I am me
And that is enough.
Lauren Barr, Y8
lovely lady
i used to clean
i used to cook
i used to sew
i used to shop
i used to tend my children
i used to birth
i used to comfort
and i was counted as a lovely lady
i never worked
i never helped
i never felt included
but i was still counted a lovely lady
the amount i could do
just to prove i’m a different lovely lady
how i dream
that one day
someone could see me as a different lovely lady
a lovely lady that can nurse
a lovely lady that can drive
a lovely lady that can teach
a lovely lady that can fight
i don’t want to be a wife
or someone else’s lovely lady
i want to be my own lovely lady
i am not owned by a man
nor am i owned by myself
i am owned by the definition of a lovely lady
Mia Hedges, Y8
i used to cook
i used to sew
i used to shop
i used to tend my children
i used to birth
i used to comfort
and i was counted as a lovely lady
i never worked
i never helped
i never felt included
but i was still counted a lovely lady
the amount i could do
just to prove i’m a different lovely lady
how i dream
that one day
someone could see me as a different lovely lady
a lovely lady that can nurse
a lovely lady that can drive
a lovely lady that can teach
a lovely lady that can fight
i don’t want to be a wife
or someone else’s lovely lady
i want to be my own lovely lady
i am not owned by a man
nor am i owned by myself
i am owned by the definition of a lovely lady
Mia Hedges, Y8