What is Femininity?

What is femininity?

Well for me,

No layer of makeup,

Or writing a song about a breakup

Can’t begin to explain the generational pain,

Or the fear when the night sky is not clear,

Is my ‘girly innocence’ is taken by a man’s wickedness.

None of this is what I want to reminisce when I’m with my granddaughter,

Because I don’t want another girl’s childhood made shorter.

What is femininity?

A question with great power,

Cos being a woman isn’t being a pretty flower in bloom,

Or the sweet smell of your favourite perfume,

And being a girl isn’t playing with dolls,

Or trying on nice dresses,

Try avoiding internet trolls

And not feeling congratulated for your own successes,

Cos if you’re not a boy playing football,

What’s the point of feeling anything but small?

What is femininity?

I often think people’s ignorance takes over

Cos they give history the cold shoulder,

They choose to forget the Suffragette’s silhouette,

And Emeline Pankhurst,

But when will the bubble burst?

Every year on international women’s day,

There is at least one boy or man that has to say,

‘Why is there not an international man’s day?’

Well sir, is the past a blur,

Because to my knowledge,

Men did not have the courage to stand up for girls and women,

Or, did they just turn a blind eye,

Act shy to what’s real,

Make up the rules

Say women are their crown jewels,

When they treat us like dust and make the girls mistrust.

What is femininity?

This will not be the final time

Because I feel that no definition is mine,

Throughout history, femininity has changed,

Making it a complete mystery.

For me, femininity is not domestic or biblical,

For me femininity does not stem from the apple tree,

Cos not every woman is like Eve,

So curious and naïve,

And for me, femininity is not being a Lady Macbeth,

Because not every woman is manipulative and plans their own partners last breathe.

So, if you were to ask me,

‘What is femininity?’

I could not give you a straight answer,

Because when speaking about femininity,

It is whatever we women want it to be.