Source: Canva

Constraints

Structure #10, tetractys

man,
woman,
oppressor:
patriarchy
serves no purpose other than to silence

When I first drafted this, I opened with “Man: woman’s oppressor.” But it’s not true — our patriarchal society expects men to act a certain way, too, and that way silences men from expressing what we arbitrarily define as “soft, feminine emotions.” When we force anyone to conform to these gender “norms”, we limit their potential. This poem is dedicated to all the children, women, and men striving to go beyond traditional gender roles.