Hold in those tears

They said to hold in those tears,
Hush your emotions,
Conceal your fears,
You can’t state your opinions,

Your appearance describes you,
And your status defines you,
You need a man to confine you,
And your silence represents you.

Surrendering your freedom will hurt for a while,
So dry those damp cheeks and give that confidence a trim,
Because your purpose is to make your man smile.
So lead an honourable life of tending to him.

Establish yourself,
Not in education, no,
Get that pot from the shelf,
Learn this skill that you’ll be proud to show.

Get back in the kitchen,
We can’t change what’s written,
That’s the place for women,
You don’t have a say in my decision.

Cover yourself up,
That’s way too revealing,
Pour more tea in my cup,
I don’t care about what your feeling.

Put makeup on your face,
It’s the looks you should ace,
Otherwise, you’ll be a disgrace.
Stay. In. Your. Place.

Now I say my place is my heart.
Stop trying to control me,
Because I’m a precious work of art.
I’m not here to serve anyone but me.

My potential extends into outer space,
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Having someone to babysit you is the real disgrace.
So stop thinking you’re any better.

I’m a warrior, not a slave,
So do whatever you can,
I will not cave.
That’s my game plan.
I can be my own man.

My life lies in my own hands,
I’m not anyone’s property,
I will explore these foreign lands,
Don’t think you can stop me.

I will voice my opinions,
I can stand up for myself.
I will express my emotions,
My existence goes far beyond the bookshelf.

Why hide the truth when I can say it plain?
I don’t owe anyone anything.
I’ll break my self free from your chain,
This queen picked herself up, she doesn’t need a king.

I’ll add colour into my life,
I refuse to see in white and black.
From my back will I pull out that knife,
And then will you see how I’ll attack.

My heart’s not made of steel,
The pain and the pressure have left a crack,
So I’ll let myself cry and heal,
Because these tears weren’t meant to be held back.