Woman

I've never been good at being easy friends with other women
but I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the most
amazing, beautiful, strong, and bright women I have ever met

only, now... I feel like the only woman in my vicinity
like those around me haven't given as much thought as to what it means to be "woman"
like they haven't struggled with gender identities and thoughts of self
keeping them up late at night
wondering if the next morning, they could truly call themselves "woman"

because I have.
"woman" was a title that I fought for
is a title that i've been fighting for since I was a girl

I believe it is a title of respect
of admiration
at something so complex and captivatingly mysterious
that is "women"

"woman" is something I call myself on days when my self confidence is highest
when I know I deserve such a powerful word to associate with
but I am still earning my stars
still earning each sharp angle of consonants, each soft curve of each vowel
just like true women are a combination of sharp wits and softly curved bodies

I am learning what it means to be my OWN woman
and I can't help feeling
that no one around me
is doing the same.