Motherhood

#internationaldayofthegirl2019
 
So I am up at 4,
standing in my kitchen, socks only,
putting on a laundry.
Just finished feeding
my two year old -
judge me in your own time.
I'm conscious of how openly
gender expectation lives in my home,
how it was completely acceptable to be greeted by work,
how my child must be huffing this ordinary like oxygen -
creating daily norms.
I wonder what her norm will be
bar regular bleeds and men telling her she's crazy
for feeling.
I want her to be all-feeling,  
it's refreshing not to be suppressed.  
I can honestly say I've lived a life free of it, unless self induced, regardless of how people have tried.  
I want her to live
economically sound
so she never needs a lover as her cage,
never feels frightened alone
but capable  
and experienced  
in controlling her own destiny.  
Yes,
day of the girl, I hear,
my western girl - be a woman, be fierce, whole, kind to those of your sex,
and love yourself
above all others
consistently, -
no one else will do that for you.