Pretty Woman
December 1st, 2019
By Michelle Bruno
Artwork by Maddy Meredith
Pretty Woman
Why is it that
No matter how much I do
It always feels as though
It is not enough
Or perhaps
I am not
enough
What are these bonds which hold me
Captive
Why is my skin so difficult to live in
Is it the weight of being a woman in a world
that does not seem to make room for me
Or the weight of all who have come before
Telling me they have sacrificed in vain
Perhaps it is the weight of the future
Telling me I needed to have done
More
Family
Friends
Academia
Colleagues
Work
All seem to want more
And more
And more
Does no one see that I am so
Completely
Intrinsically
Painfully
Tired?
Of not being all that is expected of me
For not filling into all the shoes before me
Or every hat thrown on me
For not bowing down on my knees and thanking for the small spaces given to me
In which I do not have room to grow
Without sacrificing some part of myself
For not smiling enough
In a world that objectifies, belittles, reduces, threatens and violates me
and so many like me
For not being able to
Do it
All
Be it
All
Overcome it
All.
Daughter, Sister, Friend, Girlfriend, Wife, Mother
Expected to be
Student, Teacher, Psychologist, Mediator, Outlet
An Ideal..
Kind
Patient
Delicate
Not-too-smart
And Pretty
Pretty Tired.