VOICES ON THE INSIDE

I am of the so-called weaker sex.
I always preferred the translation that said “fairer.”
My muscles are lean, lithe
I am not a body builder or an ironman,
but I have discovered my own version of strength.
I am soft, I always will be –
this place couldn’t make me hard.
My strength is found, not in a flexed muscle,
but in what I’ve held on to
When the world tried to beat it out of me.
I will pass that strength on to my daughters.
I’ll teach them that girls can be strong,
that kindness is the truest form of beauty
and smiles are powerful.
I’ll teach them that what matters
is not what people call you,
but what you answer to.
I am of this so-called weaker sex,
but I will never answer to “weak” again.