Breaking Free

Breaking Free - Aanya Sharma (Cambridge High School, Eighth Grade)

I must be quiet, I must stay small.

I must be perfect, never fall.

I must be gentle, never fight.

Why? I’m a girl, it’s only right.

I must be pretty, always smile.

I must be patient, all the while.

I must be helpful, never stray.

Why? I’m a girl, it’s just our way.

But now I see, I’ve been deceived.

These chains of silence, I’ve believed.

No longer bound, I’ll speak my mind,

I’m strong, I’m fierce, and I will find.

I must be bold, I must be free.

I must be true, to the real me.

I must rise up, and claim my voice.

Why? I’m now a woman, and it’s my choice.

Whether those who plant these seeds of doubt

Approve or not, I will shout:

I’ll grow and thrive, unfurl,

I will be a woman, not a girl.