By Kelcie McKenney
This poem was first published in Tessellation, a poetry and photography zine with all proceeds benefiting Barrier Babes—a Kansas City nonprofit that strives to promote inclusive and unapologetic sexual health education. Read more about the project.
To be a woman takes guts
Guts that leave blood stains on silk dresses and middle school seats
Guts that spill when you share the name of your crush at a slumber party after too much mountain dew and nail polish remover
Guts that leave a cold stain down your thigh after one missed period
To be a woman takes guts
It’s standing up for yourself after the room has spent the whole meeting talking over you
It’s learning to walk back to your car with keys between your knuckles every night
Its wiping the mascara from under your eyes and telling the reflection you can be both soft and strong
To be a woman takes guts
The kind that makes your stomach hurt after laughing too hard at failed dates and silly boys
The kind that rearranged when your body begins to grow and swell and carry the future
The kind that teaches you to stop saying “sorry” for your own existence in this world
Because to be a woman takes guts
To be a woman takes guts
To be a woman takes guts
To be a woman takes guts
guts guts
guts guts
guts
guts
guts
Tessellation
A poetry and photography zine about piecing yourself back together.
All proceeds to benefit Barrier Babes—a Kansas City nonprofit that strives to promote inclusive and unapologetic sexual health education.
Kelcie McKenney (she/her) is a writer, editor, and artist who is passionate about feminism, local activism, queer representation, and strengthening community. You can find Kelcie on Instagram with #kcdaddy, where she talks about her three-legged cat Luna, thrift finds, and ways to overthrow the patriarchy.
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