A poem by Vanessa Shanti Vernando

My Feminism

My feminism is not afraid of sex or secrets or
living fully it is not a religion but a
heightened way of seeing
my feminism does not dislike men but dislikes power
wielded as a force, authority
my feminism is more complex than a girl-power
bumper sticker it means it’s okay to masturbate
initiate sex wear combat boots & dresses take
up knitting or organize radically
my feminism is not detached gender-theorizing
but kindness & recognition that both girls & boys
are socialized into suppressing important parts of
themselves for survival
& that’s not okay
my feminism loves it when girls & boys are friends
my feminism wants respect & love, equality and space
for complexity
there is room in my feminism for all genders or lack
of genders & all flavours of sexual preference & there
is room for the individuals who escape definition
because i think that is beautiful
my feminism is about living as humans even though
the glossy corporate world does not give us that
basic human right & therefore my feminism is
not a commodity but a rallying cry for change
towards what really matters & a desire for
humans to recognize that we all have pains
& fears & joys in common despite our different
genitalia or our pallette of possible skin shades.
my feminism is not afraid & has no copyright.
Share.