If fire tore through your brain tonight

How would you react?

If fire tore down your mind tonight

You wouldn’t want to be told

To simply step back

You can’t say no to fire

Because fire takes what it wants

So why

Am I expected

To walk through these streets

Alone

In the dark

Because nowadays

To be out at midnight

With your outward femininity

On a moonlit path

Today it’s a vulnerability

In the eyes of these streets

No one sees me

For me

They see the skirts

The alcohol

The night

The drunk girl on a dark street alone

They don’t hear the pleas

Don’t feel the pain

The only see what they want to see

Call me what they want to call me

Slut

Whore

Slag

But it’s not my fault

Despite what they say

Stab wounds aren’t your fault

Bruises, lashes

Not your fault

So why are my scars

My mistake

When I couldn’t refuse

I couldn’t scream

I couldn’t move

Scars fade

Burns fade

Mine don’t

Trauma stays

Stays with you until your dying day

It never leaves

It’s a memory you can’t erase

I just wanted a good night

What I wore that day

What I drank

That didn't all mean

I was asking for a lifelong fight

And I walk now

Keys in hand

Phone in reach

Broad daylight

Constant fear

Screams

Phobia

Paranoia

Paralysed

So if fire tore through your town tonight

Ripped your family apart

Pushed your friends away

If fire ripped down your house

And burnt through your brain

If fire tore you apart

You would know how I feel.

My name is up there

On a plaque

Doctors surgery,

Lawyers office,

Our names are everywhere

And they're not like yours

Not three syllable

First

Middle

Last

Linear

It’s weaponised

And we could ask questions

But we don’t

It’s been like this for years

Built on the solid rocks of history

The rocks which erode.

The rocks that were

subjected to years of

Criticism

Saltwater

It stings

So you put us down

You made sure we’d be

Nothing

But when we were something

When we made a name for ourselves

When we rose

When we became who we wanted

You weaponised that too

When good grades are mocked

When intellect is criticised

When careers are labelled as “cliche”

When we joke about how many of our

Relatives

Went into what fields

When we laugh about this

There’s a problem

And an overlooked one

People say it’s good

But when were stereotypes

Ever

Considered good

The stereotype that we are smart

We know what we’re doing

It’s damaging

When you don’t fit society’s view

Of who you should be

You feel less than you should be

Even if you can’t live up to it

But when we are not placid

Not quiet

When we speak up

When we aren’t in a certain field

Excelling at a certain subject

When we break

Imaginary expectations

We are put down

We stress

We stress over it

Over fitting society’s eyes

We are human

Human

We seek approval

Seek companionship

It’s a

Primal fear

It’s a

Forever struggle

Because companionship’s not always what you get

Every voice you get

Is valuable

Every voice

Matters

Just like yours do

Our voices

Are valuable

Our voices

matter

Because when you fit

The stereotypes

On purpose or not

You feel bad

Like you're just

Encouraging them

Standing by

Letting them be

Constant struggle

Constant pressure

Confused

Confined

To stereotypes

To submission

To silence

For speech

For suffering

For expression