VESSELI am a strong vessel
capable of holding liquids
of extreme temperatures,
but not to the rest of the world.
They see me as a fragile
transparent shell.
They see me as delicate
with flimsy
beautiful details,
as a woman should be.
But I am strong and can withstand
things they could never imagine.
My surface is shiny
and reflective.
When they peer through
my revealing outer shell
to see what’s beneath,
they still only see
a twisted reflection
of themselves.
They don’t really want to see me,
they only want to see themselves.
They don’t want to see my strength
because that is not what they want me to be.
So I play into their game
and show them
what they expect to see
so that they will be satisfied,
but I know
what I really am
and what I’m really capable of.
