Published May 15th, 2025
by Melany Mayowski
She is real, and she is free –
The Goddess of Everyday.
Everywhere, but never seen.
She has wrinkles on her forehead,
Callouses starting on her knees –
From carrying the weight of the world.
She is you, and she is me,
Fighting behind the mirror,
Brushed with malachite and rouge.
Her soul screams,
Let me go!
Never letting her ego be bruised.
What of these hands?
Made to build,
Made to care.
What of this skin?
Too dark for them,
Too light for you.
Does she ever get to choose?
Is it a choice she'll always lose?
With the weight of the world,
The mirror slowly cracking,
The voice never fades – a constant wracking.
It bellows,
Smash it all down!
All the king's horses, all the king's men,
Will never make her be silent again.
The rough shards make a crown,
That which she wears with honour.
Even as blood trickles down,
The moment is not somber.
It is a triumph for all,
Even the ones who must remain silent for now –
To show them they are heard.
For in the silence,
Lies defiance.
About the Poet
Melany Mayowksi resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Read the poet's biography on Melany Mayowski's Artist Page.
This poem is included in Poetry World #12,
published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Previously published in Edmonton Poetry Magazine:
The Curse of Adulthood
by 818TFL
Edmonton Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
- Visit the main Wax Poetry and Art Submissions Page to see all opportunities.
- Visit the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
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