Hello

My name is Jasmine

I mean my name is Young

I mean my name is Girl

I mean my name is Woman

 

Hi there

I’d like to tell you a story

About summer

When it’s hot

And my name became Shorts

Because it was summer

And I was hot

 

Hello

My name is now Asking for It

I mean my name is I deserved it

Actually my name is Yours

Well really, my name is Hey Sexy Lady

Get your slutty ass over here

 

Hi there

I’d like to tell you something

About being a woman

And how my name isn’t really

My name

And even before I was a woman

I was treated as one

 

I’d also like to tell you about

How they didn’t know my name

Or like my name

Or whatever excuse they chose

About my name

And made me grow up faster

Then I should

And called me woman

 

Hello 

My name is Disrespect Me

Because my name is Woman

My name is Beneath You

Because my name is Woman

My name is 23% less than you

Because my name is Woman

 

Hi

My name is Fat

My name is Little

My name is weak

My name is Overcome Me

My name is Control Me

My name is this body isn’t mine because it belongs to the first person who claims

My name is lay claim to me

 

Hey

I’d like to tell you

About the law

And how I abide by the rules

And I know what my name is

Legally

And I know what to call myself

Legally

 

You see,

My name is jasmine

That’s what it says on my

Birth certificate

That’s what it says on my

Social security

That’s what it says on my

Driver’s license

 

But most importantly

That’s what my mother

Called me

And the only time she called me

Out of my name

Was to teach me another way to

Pronounce my name

A way to pronounce anybody’s name

If you don’t know their name

 

So, Hello

My name is Jasmine

But if you can’t remember that

Or if you can’t remember someone else’s

Our name is Woman

But not in the disrespectful

Connotation you’ve added

With the one that you address

Your mother

Your daughter

Your sister

Your aunt

Your grandmother

 

But if you don’t feel comfortable with that

If calling us by the same woman you would

Your family

And your loved ones

Makes you realize that we are not

Someone you can walk on

 

Our name is Ambitious

Our name is Beautiful

Our name is Brave

Our name is Hard-Working

Our name is Independent, Intellectual, Intuitive

Our name is Magnanimous

Our name is Respectful

Our name is Sensible, Sincere, Sociable

Our name is Strong

Our name is Tough

 

But if you can’t remember any of those names

I’m not going to lie

We do have a lot

I’ll always accept Woman

Because my name is Jasmine

And Jasmine means Woman

And Woman means Strong, Beautiful, and Brave

And that’s who I am.

 

Hello

Who am I?

Well, my name is Jasmine

You see, it’s English for Woman

What’s yours?