Silence me no more

I have always been small
My size
My voice
My gender

I accepted it
Naturally submissive
Inherently unsure of the legitimacy of my mind and my fire

I was in fact told
that my gender had no place in leadership
again, and again
But it was I who chose to listen

I was in fact told
that my place was in the home
and nowhere else
But it was I who chose to listen

I was given the tools and the blueprints,
But it was I who built the house

It wasn't until recently that I realized
No one is telling me those things anymore
Except for myself

Today, I choose to stop listening