Kings have reigned in life’s history
as forgotten queens stomped through time
in the shadows of men bathing in glory
who plundered through life without blinking an eye.
We queens dug and searched deep into the dark,
having been told it is our one and only duty.

Dreams were to us untouchable luxuries
as walls closed in and the world appeared bleak.
The same words repeated, ‘Be a good girl.’
They once served as comfort but now a heavy weight,
for our lips were sealed and actions repressed
as we followed the commands of society.

As we began our first steps in infancy,
we were taught to act with grace and modesty,
to smile and succumb to negativity,
cover up, do not frown, stay still as a doll.
Among these are the many things we were told.

But times change and tables turn.
Our scars are engraved into every defeat as
the blood of steel runs through our veins.
Silent but strong, we are more than homemakers.
We are neither an image nor an object
to be molded by worldly norms.
Striving through life, knowing where we stand,
we are women, and we rule the world.

 Written by ESTHER KANG
Staff Writer