Every woman

by Dr Debra Bartholomew

I’m every woman, they say

It’s all inside of me

But am I still every woman if

I have a disability?

My legs may be weak or mangled

But my soul still wants to soar!

My world may be trapped in silence

But that doesn’t mean that I can’t roar!

Break the Bias? Yes, let’s do it!

Let’s talk equality in gender

But it goes way deeper than that

Let’s destroy the intolerance and the stigma

I am resilience, strength, and passion

I am love personified

Religion, race, disability don’t define me

My true spirit cannot hide

I can cook, wash, birth, build, and clean

Heal, fly, teach and plan

Manage, lead, orate like a boss

Drive, dance and till the land

Blind, deaf, wheelchair-bound,

Autistic…don’t try to measure my girth

Medals, trophies, accolades

Do not compute my worth

Treat me with respect and honour

With dignity not shame,

I am daughter, sister, mother

WOMAN is my name.