She craves and hungers to see the light of day

To lift her skirt and let the breeze caress her skin

And feel safe in the pleasure of being in this body

This body that was made for pleasure.

 

She hides her audacity, lust, and brilliance.

She mutes her sexy, bold, ambition.

She shrinks her delightful, extravagant, tender

Irrational, soft, too-muchness.

 

Because it isn’t okay.

It doesn’t feel safe.

It isn’t the respectful, reasonable, 

Responsible thing to do.

 

Because she’s been shamed

Into hiding, pretending, denying.

The result has been unnatural

Self-negation and suffering.

 

And too often she wanders, wants,

And numbs as the only 

Reasonable alternative to endless

Dissatisfaction. 

 

Because the world is rife with those

Who seek only to take, 

Hungry ghosts who cannot be filled,

Who care not for her well-being

And seek only to please themselves

No matter the wounds and betrayal, 

No matter the cost.

 

Still, the light and life within her

Cannot be denied.

It heats and colors and electrifies

Breaking the rules, transcending the reasons,

Smashing the outdated expectations.

 

She cannot be diminished or destroyed

Because she is life itself.

Powerful. Beautiful. Unabashed.

Vivacious. Self-determining. 

Creative. And deeply feeling.

 

She is learning to question

The fear she’s been raised with,

The fear of her yes,

The fear of her craving.

Ever suspect, ever vilified,

Ever manipulated and made wrong

By the outside.

 

As she awakens

And begins to live from within

Outward

And allows herself to be informed,

Ignited, and brought to life

By all senses firing,

 

She begins to own herself.

Be responsible to herself

In the deepest sense.

From that place of truth

There is no going back to

Conditioned self-erasure.

 

She steals her gaze away

From the pain and negativity

That were never hers.

She focuses instead on her own

Fulfillment and delight.

On living her life, her joy, her way.

 

Powerlessness becomes less 

Of an option.

As are compliance,

Acquiescence, depression

And denial.

 

Settling for the expected,

Mediocre, convenient, 

Or conventional can never

Truly satisfy her as she

Learns to approve of herself. 

Affirm herself. Celebrate herself.

 

In a world that has gone insane and 

Is starving for truth, 

Only her aliveness makes sense.

Only her feeling can be trusted.

Only her sensual dance with herself

And the wisdom that dwells within 

Can ever guide her to where she is meant

To be. To all she really is.

 

Will you let her come out and play?

Your courage and fire are essential. 

Your defiance is required.

Your self-determination and

Self-preservation are necessary.

 

Your profoundly creative self is desperately needed

In this world that tries its best to exclude, subjugate, 

Belittle and shame a woman who chooses to really live.

 

And still, amidst it all,

This inner fire and burning desire

Can give you the energy required

To fulfill authentic change in your life,

And in this world.

She can liberate you from the pain

You’ve known, and show you a

New way forward.

 

She who lights up the dark.

She who lives within.

She who burns with an inner fire.

She who stands defiant, victorious,

Awake, aware, aroused. 

 

And deeply ALIVE.