tell her she’s a witch, she’ll cast a spell
say she’s a queen, she’ll rule the roost
call her ugly, she’ll lie in bed
praise her beauty, she’ll dare the sun
whisper she’s stupid & she’ll flunk the test
insult her limp & she’ll stand still
call her temptress, she’ll wear a sheet
name her whore, her body goes cheap
say she’s a person & her choices will matter
show her respect & she’ll build a world
Photo by nine koepfer on Unsplash
Anne Leigh Parrish
Award-winning writer Anne Leigh Parrish’s next novel, an open door, will be published in October 2022 by Unsolicited Press. Recent titles from Unsolicited Press are the moon won’t be dared, a poetry collection, October 2021, and a winter night, a novel, released in March 2021. She is the author of seven other books. She has recently ventured into the art of photography and lives in the South Sound Region of Washington State. Find her online at her website, Twitter, Facebook, Medium, Instagram, Linked In, and Goodreads.