A W(e)man

Suthida Chang

 

Your eyes are too small, go cut them open!
Monolid? No, no, and your lids are too swollen.
Your nose is quite flat so sharpen it ASAP.
Your face is too round so cut away your flesh.

Freckles? Ugly. Cover them up!
Blackheads? Yuck. Use a peeling mask.
Wrinkles? Oh gosh! You wouldn’t be pleased.
Your youth is fading and there’s no Ctrl + Z.

Your arms are too hairy! Oh, your legs too!
You don’t want to be a monkey in the bedroom.
Bare face? Come on, layer on that stuff!
But now that’s too much, you look like a giraffe.

Hey, hottie! Can I buy you a drink?
WDYM you’re not interested? Why’d you wear that thing?
That skirt is too short and your bra strap is showing,
Cover up, shut up, and act like a lady.

No heels today? What a joke.

You’d better look nice or have your offer revoked.
Oh, darling, there’s no place for you here,
Women sit elsewhere and polish glassware.

“Are you on your period? That’s why you’re so mad!”
Emotional creatures, how else can you act?
Wait, are you offended?
Here’s some cash for that bag.

Happy birthday! You’re turning 30?
Shouldn’t you be out with your family on a Sunday like this?
What? You’re not married? And you don’t plan on having kids?
Well, somebody’s expiring, and are you sure about this?

A woman can’t lead, and the glass ceiling’s a hoax!
Makes you feel victimised to overthrow us folks.
What’s a woman good without a man?
This, I proclaim: I’m all that I am.

 

On ‘A W(e)man’

This poem was inspired and catalysed by my own experiences as a young woman, coupled with the influence of media representation. W(e)man reproduces uncomfortable conversations about our bodies and appearances, shedding light on the misogynist attitudes towards how women ought to look, dress, act and behave, as well as how easily these types of conversations are normalised in social situations. W(e)man emphasises on the collective power of women — the W(e) — to remind us that even though we are all individuals, we are not alone in advocating for equal rights and value.

The art accompanying this piece is courtesy of © Barbora Idesová (@barboraidesova).

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