Woman... I am her. Woman. Sister. Mother. Lover. Child. Friend.
Person. Human being. I am a human being. Being loved, being
taught, being faught... for— against, being born, being torn
between... When I am a woman do I cease to be a human, when I am
a lesbian do I cease to be a woman, when I am a mother do I
cease to be a child, when I am quiet do I cease to have a
purpose, when I am loud do I cease to be respected, when I am an
artist do I cease to be a thinker, when I am strong do I cease to
be sensitive, when I am weak do I cease to be an individual, when
I am sexual do I cease to be pure, when I am silly do I cease to
be aware? Do you stare? Do you care? Have you asked me not to
flaunt it... Have you called me faggot... Does my sense of
security demolish yours? I am a woman. My body will bear, my hips
will strain, my skin will stretch, my breasts will feed. I will
give, I will give, I will give to you, I will live with you—
along side you. I will be obvious. I will be a revolution—
evolution... look for a solution. I am a woman— beautiful, we
are... I love women, so do you— curves, sweet smells, little
laughter, you read the chapter on women— talk nice... buy some
flowers... I am a woman, I am large— I am hearing this- I am
here. Why do I fear this? A society of petite frames? Little
dames? I am not demure, I am not pure... Purity was taken—
stolen-- shaken from me. Why do I fear? I ask you to hear this—
to see me... a woman, I can hold my own. I can hold my face to
the sun, my heart in my chest, my breast to my babies sucking
lips. I can sway my hips. I love women. I can hold my lovers’
hand in the face of a man on the street shouting at me, through
me, past our love, past our love. Shouting at my gender, her
gender... We’re genderfuckers. We threaten him? His power? His
penis? What makes the words form in his mouth? What curls his
tongue around this hatred? I am her... woman, dyke, artist. I can
create, I can wait, masterbate, play it straight, talk of fate,
talk of hate— war, politics, religion... I can preach, I can
teach, I can reach into my past and pull through it. I am woman,
I am her. I am you.
