To the women who make up my support system.
I am beyond lucky.
Preface .............................................................................xi Hair .....................................................................................1 My UN-Apology ..............................................................3 Invincible ..........................................................................4 I Am ....................................................................................5 To the Goddess................................................................7 Raw yet Strong ................................................................8 Warrior .............................................................................11 Resilience ........................................................................12 Self-Re ection ...............................................................13 Depth Perception ..........................................................14 Bottoms Up ....................................................................16 Parts of Me I Call Love .................................................17 Things I Love About Myself ........................................18 The Quiet .......................................................................20 Perseverance ..................................................................21
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Vulnerability ..................................................................22
The Water Cycle ...........................................................26 Flourish ...........................................................................27 The Mirror: My Re ection .........................................28 Stand Up for Her ..........................................................29 An Invitation: The Prompt .........................................33 Acknowledgements......................................................35
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Editor’s Note ..................................................................37
On Women was inspired by a poem I read on a muted summer day. It was written from one friend to another. He detailed his deep love for her, and the way he poured his heart moved me. He wrote of how divine “she is,” how unparalleled “she is.” Her eternal imprint on his heart was clear with every word. But as I read these gushing words, I realized how rarely we speak about ourselves in this manner. Namely, how rarely I hear women speak about themselves in this manner. I thought, instead of “she is,” why not “I am?” So, I created On Women to gather more voices of declarative self-love. I’ve heard the greatness of women from others, and now I want to hear the greatness from her. The following love poems are written by women, to themselves. My hope is as you read these poems, you are reminded of the same selflove you readily have within yourself.
Much love, Allison
Of all the love poems to be received, the most important are from yourself.
Hair The day I cut my hair I gave away a part of myself I said what I look like to you Is more important than what I look like to me I said I want me to be the me you love And forgot about the me that I love And every day since then I look at myself in the mirror I see the pieces of me growing back Hair that has seen more of me than I know This is the hair that latches onto my neck Sticky with sweat as I throw heavy weights overhead Hair that knows I am strong The hair that coils itself into a bun Away from eyes that hungrily scan pages of textbooks for knowledge Hair that knows I am smart Hair that's been tangled in dirt and crumbs and wet with rain As I run toward the mountains Hair that knows I am brave
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On Women
Poems by Her
It’s what brushes my skin and webs itself in the bedsheets Of a man who wants me more than I know Hair that knows I am beautiful It’s the buffer between my head and the pillow when I cry myself to sleep And what whips in the air as I jump for joy Hair that knows I feel I know now the next time my hair falls to the ground It won't be because I lost my way It won't be because I forgot to ask myself what I wanted It will be because the things I love about me Will be etched so deep into my being That no one could even dream of taking it away I will be the me that I love
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My UN-Apology Aggressive. Loud. Pushy. Words said by others to describe me. Strong. Confident. Fiery. Their words flipped around to EMPOWER me.
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On Women
Invincible I am a dreamer A believer I chase my heart’s desire And for that I feel Invincible
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Poems by Her
I Am I am fearless Able to achieve my goals Speak up in moments of injustice And carve out my own unique path I am love A nurturing presence The gentle hug To warm your heart when you are alone I am beauty Graceful legs that are often called skinny Luscious hair the color of rust Petite Small The perfect size for clothing I am comfort The voice of reason when things get tough Your home base when you need to rest Arms that are open to hug
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On Women
Poems by Her
The creator The home The eye in the storm I am everything and anything I am a woman
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To the Goddess To the Goddess The Sacred Female The Sister The Mother The Divine Being The Goddess is perfection She is worthy of worship for her sanctity alone She needs no one to assign her worth She questions not her compassion And her strength knows no bounds I am keeper of a secret She is in me and I am in her I am a Goddess I am a stronghold I am both whole and healing myself I claim myself worthy To the goddess within all of us Awaken!
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On Women
Raw yet Strong One of her weaknesses is never letting people see all of her Even if most of it is good She is protective of herself and her inner mind She knows her heart is soft, But will encase it in an armor of reservation around others Fearing that people will notice her sensitivity and empathy And mistake them as weakness. She feels like a walking contradiction: She has many friends—how can she not? She never fails to include, encourage, and connect But she often feels lonely. She adores quiet solitude when she can get it She knows it is essential to rebuild and reconnect to herself, But she cannot thrive without steady companionship. She is loving, But physical affection is often difficult for her. She is loyal to those who stand next to her, But she continues to question if she can depend on them.
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Poems by Her
On Women
She passes her exams well and appears confident around her evaluators, But ruminates in self-doubt every day. She gives great advice, But refuses to trust her own. She loves God with all of her, But fails Him on the regular. She tries to act tough, But it only takes an ounce of frustration to bring on tears. She loves to be comfortable, But also loves to push her body beyond what is physically and mentally capable. She can write pages upon pages about her feelings, But when asked “what’s wrong,” She cannot utter a coherent sentence. Maybe part of the reason she won’t open up And reveal herself Is because she does not fully know herself yet And that is equally exciting and confusing for her. She knows she is changing and being reinvented She has seen a lot and has experienced heartache But has always resurfaced stronger and more humble than she was before.
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Poems by Her
Her softness is her strength, Her intuition enlightening, And her love a fierce loyalty to those who meet her. She is tough and resilient She is driven and succeeds with quiet persistence She is fierce and strong But always sensitive at the root, And that’s what makes her vulnerable yet genuine Raw yet strong.
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Warrior Life is not always kind But I have the spine To keep going I’m a warrior
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On Women
Resilience Time is a finite resource But I’m proud of my capacity to endorse All the ups, downs, and new doors That have been thrown my way in life’s course
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Poems by Her
Self-Reflection Every so often, I am asked to self-evaluate, and then so much of that becomes looking at what went wrong, what I did wrong, what I could do better. It is even harder for me to take a step back and really look at who I am, all I have accomplished, and to be proud of myself. Yet, if you look where I am standing at this moment, everything I’ve worked towards is in its place. It’s hard work and dedication that have brought me to where I am, and the obstacles I’ve overcome along the way that have only made me stronger.
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On Women
Depth Perception And on most days I take no interest in myself, Only to compare my life to others. But we can only compare the superficial And if we do, we lose our ingenuity. Instead of the sadness that my hair isn’t the right type of curl, Agree that each and every strand comes together to coil unique. Instead of the heartache that my shape never measures the same, Agree that every forward motion I make creates my physique. Instead of judging others more politely than myself I try more to look at my face and smile back. I have the power to write from an exclusive perspective One that is perfectly, and undeniably, my own. A poem about me – written by me. No matter how long it takes to write.
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Poems by Her
On Women
I’ll always remember that it’s my fingers moving. And my mind is the only one that’s ticking. And in this moment, There is nothing more pure.
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Bottoms Up every day to remind myself i'll keep striving to love myself enough i am more than [insert new insecurity of the day] but really, not i always tell myself bringing myself down i can lift others up without feeling all the feels a woman's resilience in this human struggle i've learned it's human to hurt and if I flip the script
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Poems by Her
Parts of Me I Call Love It took me a while to get here To say out loud with my head held high That “I love me” Unapologetically It took me a while to say I love the curves that God created for me Unapologetically It took me a while to say that I am enough Even when things aren’t meant to be From my mind, to my body, to my heart, to my soul I chose me, each and everyday unapologetically And these are the parts of me I call love That define me, for me and only me
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On Women
Things I Love About Myself My hair My eyebrows My hands My butt My humor My laugh My weirdness My quirkiness My awkwardness My craziness My hunger My metabolism My volleyball skills My craftiness My organization My messiness My simplicity My perseverance My kindness My emotions My sensitivity My energy My spirit My enthusiasm My intelligence
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Poems by Her
On Women
My capabilities My youthfulness My obsession with anything cute My compassion My loyalty My honesty My mind My heart Myself
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The Quiet In a world where the loudest voices impress, I am the calling of sleep, a lulling whisper. My power lies in history’s excess, where the erased are architects of the future. Who I am is simple yet boundless, For me to define and you to decipher.
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Poems by Her
Perseverance It’s hard to feel comfortable in your own skin That’s why I express myself through my piercings, tattoos, hair color, and fashion I’ve had comments made about my appearance from a young age until now, which has always inhibited me from truly expressing myself It’s even harder hearing it from the people close to you in your life What these commenters don’t know, is that I will never feel more comfortable or safe in this body when I choose to express myself through these ways They will never understand the comfort, strength, and confidence I find in myself through my piercings, tattoos, hair color, and fashion And it’s sad they don’t realize that But it gives me all the more reason to continue expressing myself for my own strength
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On Women
Vulnerability The flame within Others are afraid, I am not. They cower At its power to Ignite Engulf Burn houses down Set life ablaze— A spark like this can perturb too much. So they stifle it Suffocate it Dim the auspicious flame to a muted flicker, I do not. The flame can ruin, undoubtedly But what they fail to see Is the warmth, Glowing rose auras, Sweet crackling music, That heats a soul.
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Poems by Her
On Women
This flame within, I do not let fear smother it I kindle it So it grows Into a towering bonfire To envelope others Into its shelter. Hot! Embers prick at their thin skin They flinch at the pain The burn marks smart Too much, they say. Too much I’ve said, Once Cooling will allow the burns to harden To restart I’ve thought. Stray away Stay away What is blackened cannot be returned. But will my flame ever return?
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Poems by Her
No, I do not want to harden. I rather melt Into a pool to be revived Inviting warm, golden liquid to spread across my skin Softening Seeping in Softening My soul. Embraced by gentle licks of red-orange A sensation You can never forget. The flame within It is not a ravaging heat It is a mending one That melds and marries into one. It is fire that forges It is fire that Nurtures Evolves Sustains It is a fire that breathes life.
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On Women
Do not fear heat for it heals, Its sole purpose is you. I am proof.
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The Water Cycle begins in the eyes where people see my sadness each blink
a drop of a guillotine
separating me further
from the world further
and
point my eyes at the leaves still gripping their branch
sing stories through my ears one day
my head
so that
I remember
a pail watering the idea of a home
with sealed off panes
a smoking chimney
as I float back into the air
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Poems by Her
Flourish I am continuously blooming, never stagnant and never constant My devotion to finding the beauty in life unearths little pieces of delight for those around me
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On Women
The Mirror: My Reflection The Mirror At face value they show us our exterior Our eyes, nose, ears, lips, skin What is a mirror but a reflection Dare we take time to view our reflection and reflect on what is reflected in us? My Reflection I see all those who poured into me Who pushed me to understand my self-worth, exude confidence, love myself, and become the woman I am today I see The richness in my melanin I see The extra inches in my hips and thighs I see The radiance in my smile I see The complexity in my experiences I see The bounce in my curls I see The strength in my values, morals, and beliefs I see all those who I will pour into Who I will push to understand their self-worth, exude confidence, love themselves, and become the humans they are destined to be
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Poems by Her
Stand Up for Her It is easy to forget how to accept and embrace the beauty of women when Society puts Her in Boxes, in Cages, in mindsets that foster derision, difference, Divisiveness against Her. It is during these times She closes Her eyes, to remind Herself to choose the path of self-love. Love for thick black hair passed down through ancestral blood. Love for brown almond eyes, that earnestly absorb the beauty of the world.
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On Women
Poems by Her
Love for the round fullness of breasts that protect a compassionate heart. Love for two resolute legs never faltering, against the weight of the world. None has the right to say who She is, or who She should be. I stand with Her. She is proud, fearless, unapologetically Female, ready to defend against any who are determined to hurt Her sisters.
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Thank you for reading these poems. I’d love to read yours. Write a piece of poetry highlighting yourself. Write about the parts you love, the parts you’re proud of. Be unapologetic. This is an opportunity to speak of yourself with confidence, certainty, and resilience. Any length is fine—from a few words to a few paragraphs. It can be one sentence. Seriously. You don’t have to be a “writer.” Just show your raw self. Poems are published anonymously to remove judgment and create solidarity. New submissions are accepted and updated on a rolling basis. To submit your poem visit: bit.ly/onwomenpoetry For book updates on Instagram follow: @allisonwin_ For questions email: onwomenpoetry@gmail.com Even if you choose not to submit, I highly encourage partaking in this exercise as a kindness to yourself.
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To the women who have shared your words here, thank you. This book quite literally would not exist without your contributions. I know for some there was fear, anxiety, or uncertainty about the writing process. I received many notes similar to these as I collected submissions: “Def not a poem but here you go.” “Hope it is okay...I’m sorry.” “Sorry this sounds super lame…” In response, I want to give you an extra reminder, like this entire book is, to trust yourself. Do not apologize. Be proud. Thank you for being brave, for challenging yourself, and for making your own voice that much stronger, so that we may all be a little stronger together. And of course, thank you to my friends who kindly listened to and supported me through this publishing process—even when I pestered them over the smallest details. From shooting the cover, to nitpicking font choices, to editing my own words, and much more, I couldn’t have done it without you all.
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As the creator and editor of On Women, I want to acknowledge the complexities of gender identity. For example, I recognize that certain pronouns do not necessarily correlate with certain gender identities. By focusing on woman-identifying individuals and she/her pronouns, the aim of this publication is not to exclude others, but to uplift individuals with shared experiences. I hope as a collective we can continue to be kind, and respect one another.
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