I Am A Disabled Woman
Yoalah Brinson 1994 (Dimona)
I am a Disabled woman
so I must fit
the line between
delicate and
empowered
like a flower turned
to the sun but plucked
from the earth I am
supposed to be beautiful
but dependent
strong but needy.
I am supposed to be the stem
severed from its roots
to be placed
in a vase that brightens
your room and yes I am
disabled but I am more
than just a disability.
I am bones
and flesh and hair and eyes
that shine.
I roll on with my own two hands on the wheels
where I was found.
Where I was planted.
I am not meant to be pulled poked prodded placed where you see fit.
Women are told to be courageous but careful
knowing but needy, aware but always awaiting someone’s love, someone’s hand pulling us from the earth but I don’t want to be the kind of
disabled woman who waits
Who relies
who wills her wishes away
to be a pretty bud in a windowsill.
I am a disabled woman
but I will not fit between
delicate and empowered.
I will not grace the vase
on your bedside table.
You will find my roots and stem
shining towards my own sun
grounded
independent and strong.
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Written on October 17, 2023
Submitted on April 14, 2024
- 1:05 min read
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Quick analysis:
| Scheme | AbcdefghijklmnohpkqrstuvbiwxryiAcezila1 2 |
|---|---|
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 1,065 |
| Words | 218 |
| Stanzas | 1 |
| Stanza Lengths | 40 |
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"I Am A Disabled Woman" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/185345/i-am-a-disabled-woman>.
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