The Voice of a Woman

They tell me to quiet down,
Talk softly
My voice, too intense
Too intimidating for those around me
Don’t speak back
My opinions are better kept to me
They say a sharp tongue
Takes away from my beauty
And contradicts the softness of my body
But my voice is only half song
The other half, fury
Like a sword It cuts through those around me
I refuse to stay quiet
In a world that needs to hear me
So I will speak
When I see injustice before me
When things no longer serve me
I will speak for those
Bound by the chains of patriarchy
They know my power is in my voice
And the swiftness of my tongue
I was not born with fire in my soul
So they could tame me.