AlishaVernon.com

Oh women!
Rise up
to see your beauty.
Reach up
and hold tight to your worth.
Press it firm to your chest
and stay far from
anyone,
anything,
any thought
that ever threatens to take just a piece.

If you find yourself without it
Because it has been stolen
Tirelessly seek it
day and night
Grasp it with your strength
as if it were the last rope you pass as you fall to your death
With fire in your eyes
Rip it off from their neck
like a pendant on a chain
And take back what is yours.

Oh women!
Know that you are
Truly
Captivating.

Oh women!
Know that you are not
what you put on.
But the accumulation of
what you allow in.

Oh women!
Know that you are exquisite.
The most rare
Exotic
flower is a
tumble weed
next to the awe
you offer this world.

Oh women!
I say “No more!”
Do not hide yourself
away in the dark
away from the water, light, and fertile ground.
Crushing the seeds before they have bloomed.
Oh women!
No more plucking your feathers
And strapping your ankles with weights

Know that you are
A beloved
Child of God

Untie this anchor
And hold up your arms
While you rise to the surface

Stand in the sunshine
After the rain
And bloom.

And finally
Talk hold of what you know
And

Dare to Fly.

-Alisha Vernon