nǚ (女)
*This poem is meant to be read left to right
nǚ becomes a
woman when
you give her a figure, spined curves and a hat so she works diligently
in the paddies every day to ensure the children are fed. nǚ becomes
a woman when you
pair her with child, when
child comes from the a
seed planted. in her lips,
and sprouts like a ginger
root that has spent far too
long in the. cupboard. nǚ
becomes a woman when
you feel her domesticity is
overrated and you want the
love born from her saliva and
every single dip in her body
when she lays to rest.
nǚ becomes a woman
when you wish her
by your side, pairing her
irrevocably left in the
right side of all things.
nǚ becomes a woman
when you flee her head,
when she is born from a
love, not when you use
sticks to create her bones.
Melinda Wang is a fifteen-year-old high schooler living in Santa Monica, California. She has been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Polyphony Lit for her fiction and creative nonfiction. Her favorite school subject is English and she enjoys writing about the natural world and her lived experiences, often through fiction and poetry. In her free time, she enjoys learning how to empower others through words, bird watching, and learning about whales.
"File:女-order.gif" by See user in the 'File history' section. is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
