A Woman's Worth- Tiffany Kablay Poem by various poets

For as long as i can remember
in order to feel better about myself
i needed a boy to notice me
to give me that second glance
so I could feel like I was the only girl in the world

but as I grew I saw the glances of many
hovering over me
like a cloud that could bring in the sunshine
and the warmth of being seen
or a storm
that could at any minute bring me to my knees
make me feel inadequate and needy

because we live in a world where we are not allowed to fell comfortable
with the way we look
and the way we dress
and the way we are

the media has told us that standard are everything
no one cares
unless you're pretty or dying
in order to be loved
we must move toward one or the other
so we slit our wrists and paint our faces

because loving yourself is stuck up
and knowing that you are enough
and not allowing the male species to determine
how good you are
is a sin
it's feminist
and it deteriorates the worth of men

but when we walk down the street with men calling you names
spitting words of deceit
we are expected to give them attention
and if they don't get it
it's oh you weren't pretty anyway
that was just a misconception

when are we going to realize that our worth is not in the eyes of men who degrade us
we degrade us
words don't mean anything
unless I in my mind have determined
that this and that matter
that this and that do not

remind yourself that you are what you are
at the end of the day
when you lay your head on that tear-stained pillow
you are worth more than a standard
or the expectation of a man
you are worth more than that diamond and runny and pearl
that's what makes you feel good on the inside
one day you'll realize it
it just takes time