Not a Damsel in Distress (poem)

I will not stay asleep
nor be idle for a hundred years
I will not buckle to panic
when I feel the wolf is near

I will not sacrifice my voice or tail
nor be locked in some tower
I won’t have a simple shoe
be the source of all my power
I will not taste that apple
no matter how shiny or how red
I will not make my life’s mission
to find a prince to wed
I will not hide my face
under my crimson hood
when others try to tell me
I don’t look the way I should
I’ve chosen to be a warrior
to stand tall and to stand strong
to speak my truth unfiltered
to sing the tune of my own song
I will shine my light brilliantly
my strength I won’t suppress
for I am a heroine
not a damsel in distress

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