Womb by Rory Leeman

Runner Up, 10-12 Grade Poetry

So many love it

So many adore it

But the people that don't, people like me

Don't count

We're not women, not even human

We're monsters

Monsters for wanting control over ourselves

Monsters because we despise something out of our control

Monsters because we want to 'mutilate' ourselves

Monsters because we're not contributing to society

Or so they say

I'm not going to keep this damn thing that terrifies me so much

Something men want me to have so I can make more of them

Something men want me to have so they can control me

I could become a mother now, they think I'm mature enough for that

But I'm not mature enough to not want that, apparently

They say I don't understand, that: "I'll change my mind

"I'll let this clump of cells leech off of me for nine months

"I'll smile and laugh when it pushes my organs aside

"I'll think it's adorable when it claws at my insides, trying to get out

"Kicking and squirming like it will pop out of my stomach if it tries hard enough

"Then raise it on my own for eighteen years and then some more

"Because what else could be better than that?"

It's my body, I do what I want with it

So unless you think you can handle the challenges of being a woman

Being seventeen year old girl, she’s not an adult just yet

Even being an innocent five year old girl

Stay the fuck away from our bodies