Intricate colors, soft to the touch
Hair, only tangled in two places
Smear on minerals, doesn't mean much
Painting smiles on various faces

It never leaves, the pretending
Each an actress of her own
Wearing heels, always spending
It's an expensive tone

She hopes and she prays
You'll judge the book by the cover
Because she rebinds it, each day
Searching for a lover

Respect is for men
So are the pennies
Nails and pencil skirts for when
She needs attention in her twenties

It's not forced, don't misinterpret
But what's expected must not be ignored
To be a woman, better yet
Feminine, defined differently at her core

When she looks you in the eye
Is it determination, or fear, that shine
Often the smirk is a lie
Hiding the shivers down her spine