To be a woman,
She constantly bathes in gravel,
and is asked to lie
that it feels like coating the skin
with milk and honey.

To be a woman,
She always lays on a bed of thorns,
and she is asked
to deem it as the equivalent
of laying on cotton.

To be a woman,
She learns the skill of halvening herself.
because Earth forbid,
this world does not hold enough room
for every woman to be whole.