Stereotyping
Location
Don’t look at me like you expect something great.
I’m tired of being called perfect.
I’m tired of pretending your right.
I am not perfect.
And don’t you dare tell me otherwise,
Because I despise
The very concept of perfection…
It’s only ever a reflection
Of the real world—
A false security that in eliminating impurities
We will be happy.
But can’t you see,
That you’re “ideal” projects on me
An expectation I can never reach?
And I’m forced to conform to your reality
That denies individuality
And it’s this useless mentality
That perpetuates the insecurity
Of the girls in our society
Until they are overwhelmed with a need
To be “pretty”
Like it’s something to be achieved.
But instead it’s just an internal
Uncertainty—
A constant reminder to us
That who we are now is not good enough
That we must change to be loved.
But these stereotypes are like handcuffs
Preventing us from taking off,
Forcing us to conform to a bluff
That is the image the government
Propagates:
Claiming America is indiscriminate,
That racism, sexism, and hate
Play no role in the choices we make,
Tell me I’m wrong.
A woman still gets less pay,
Even though we’ve been fighting the wage gap for decades.
A woman still has less say
In government, ‘cause to this day
The Senate, the Cabinet, and the House of Representatives
Are hardly representative
Of the voices of women
Government is still dominated by men,
As is media, science, finance, construction,
Even though more women are getting a higher education—
The majority is a minority
Constrained by the authority
Of conformity
And left uncontested
We will rot under the headline of
“Perfection”
When it comes to oppression
We must eradicate the
Infection
That plagues the minds
Of innocent children
With deadly impressions
Of what it’s like to grow up
Inferior.
I’ve heard too many girls say
They’re useless
To ignore the fact
That America needs a shift in mindset
And a reminder of what it means to respect
And protect
But most importantly, to accept
Women,
And not the stereotypes we use to categorize them.