today is a woman’s day !

it is a man’s world,

but today is a woman’s day.

on this day, we honour the

strong, precious stone that is her fist

her golden heart

her voice that can turn a song into an echoing roar.

her fire-filled eyes

her mind which will stop at nothing to find an answer

her feet which will walk a thousand miles for her beliefs.

do not be fooled into the thinking that the extra folds of fabric

that are expected to swing around her calves

make her weak

or that she is only ever someone

for someone else –

a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife.

she is everything that she is

for herself.

do not be fooled into thinking that she is like a rose

cut for delicate beauty and sweet scent

to be held captive in a vase and admired for a while

before meekly

wilting.

she will surprise you again and again, because

though she might love them,

she is anything but such a rose.

it is a man’s world

but a woman is the sun.

she is the bright, fiery

unfathomably large and mighty

centre of the universe.

many worlds revolve around her,

hoping to feel her light and warmth

that sustains life.

they forget that she is not obligated

to give it to them; it is a kind favour, a gift.

they forget that the same warmth

can scorch them.

what a tragic fact

to forget.

what a crucial fact

to remember, to celebrate.

today and always.