War

By LeFaith Massaquoi

Before I received my period no one
Gave me the memo
that there was a war
There were signs
But I was too young and Ignorant about every single one of them
Till my ignorance fell down and became hot boiling water down my cheeks
There were
Women whom I once respected
that have accepted societies opinions
They embraces these beatin
love these beatin
swallow these beatings
eat them up on a daily
like this is who they are
I’m here to say right now you are so much more
Too royal to twerk on guys that don’t even know your last name or your favorite color
You are more than
what’s beauty is on TV
you are more than your eyebrows and fake eyelashes
or your nails always being done
you’re more than your outfits
you are more than your cell phone whether it’s a flip phone iobama Android iPhone or whatever
you’re more than any objects that can be Sold
you are priceless
no one speaks about these situations on the news or on TV at all
But being blatantly disrespected by some mass murder doesn’t click to our heads
Helllo
That were is a war
Before we learn about world war 1
We need to learn about this war going on right now
lesson just seriously need to be taught about those who are targets
Those with short hair long hair no hair those with curly wavy bone straight hair
Those who came out the whom knowing that there bodies would one day develop into a woman
That this is a war that targets to those with hair on that cannot be put into a ponytail or a bun in just a quick sec

this war targets and breaks down the confidence of others speaking about other edges and eyebrows
Yet do not take into consideration of someone story and what they had to go through in the morning
it does not take into consideration that regardless of who you are there’s beauty within you

You don’t need a man to tell you
you’re beautiful
tell yourself that
matter fact
when I guy says your beautiful
says thank you and keep it moving.
and leave it at that
don’t crumble down
and act as if he’s telling your news
You never known
Or like
This is a sign that
this is true love
Oh no honey
Didn’t you forget you r priceless
He has to proof his love a lot more than that
respect your body
respect your soul
love who you are because God created every little part of you
each strand of your hair
he created your eyelashes and each of-those hairs too
he created your heart beat
and your very own being
Never ever let someone tell you something that hurt you so bad that when you look in the mirror that’s all you see
you are much more than what others say about you
one time I had my hair in a hairstyle and I loved it so much and a very cute guy told me you look like Medusa
My opinions changed about it I hated it but now when I look back
I look gorgeous
What the heck was I thinking
what was I looking at.
This war is sometimes girls against girls
I remember in elementary school
A girl with blue eyes and blond hair told me
She wanted to cut out beads out my braids
Because she hated the sound they made
I told my mom
I don’t want these braids anymore but I still love my braids now I see girls white girls black girls Asian girl with and without beads doesn’t even matter
they wear them now its a style
the beads
my hair was how another person viewed me that are often put on all of us
we are woman often being pointed at for minor things unnecessary things yet guys can go around shirtless and it’s fine I never really understood how if a man is so much stronger how come we can bear a child and some of the most painful situations
Why if men are so much stronger why are women constantly on a daily being raped holding it in because when they tell they are often put down while still holding those painful experiences
women are so strong there so many situations where we just have to suck it up this is normal
this is normal
this is our normal
no when I walked on the street it is not appropriate for someone to come up to me and talk to me any type away they want
No this is not normal that when I’m on my way home but I have to go around a whole another side because there’s at the corner Who keeps looking at me funny at 16 17 years old
No this is not and should not be normal
So to be on the safe side bc we don’t know what they’re going to do or what they’re going to say so we across the street which isn’t in our direction to where we were originally
so no this is not normal that when we open our eyes we arise this is the war
this is the war that is ignored by ignorance yes it’s good to be positive but let’s put this into recognition
that we go to this tall big small skinny fat medium I don’t know Stage and in between my gosh
Always know that is war is over something that is beautiful
It’s you and it’s me