A woman yes! But my gender is irrelevant to who or what I am.

By Stanley Collymore

Don’t try taking me for granted as you obviously contemplate

doing and I’m fully aware is your secret intention. Yes, I

readily agree that you have a number of interesting and

even innovative things that you want to say and do

and which if suitably and wholly implemented by

those whom you’re very much endeavouring to

impress and convince do take them onboard

will doubtlessly make you a very important

and self-satisfied man. But lest you should conveniently

forget I’m not only a woman but also a person in my

own right and neither an adjunct of your life nor for

that matter some suitable concubine of yours that

at your behest you can manipulate at will to do

your specific bidding at that precise moment

in time. So please, do credit me with the

intelligence that I have and a mind of

my own to make the relevant decisions that of necessity

I appropriately regard as fit about what matters I as

relevant at the time of my doing so, and if you’re

in any real doubt about them, then do question

me intelligently, and painstakingly if you so

wish, about any of them, and not haughtily

and patronizingly take to presuming that

by being a man you’re therefore much

more knowledge of what’s best and

accordingly know everything and

in contrast by being a woman I

should always obediently be

a completely unthinking,

and idiotic underling.

© Stanley V. Collymore

9 December 2016.

Author’s Remarks:

This poem is specifically written for and dedicated to all of the female students at whatever level of their academic studies that I’ve taught them and collectively over a period of several years of teaching them.

It’s also for the several female members of my biological family, close feminine friends, my former girlfriends and lovers who understandably still mean a lot to me and several of whom now happily married and with families of their own still mutually keep in touch; and all of whom individually and collectively have helped to reciprocally shape the respective life that we each of us individually have forged for ourselves.

And furthermore for anyone else who can empathize with this poem and has benefited from it in any way.