Encased within a sheet of immaculate glass

Is the expectation for every young woman on this beautiful, terrible earth.

Within a perfectly clear image, there are tinted lips, styled hair, eyes like those of a harmless doe.

But what there is not, within that mirror, is a reflection

A reflection of true beauty, inner beauty, that reflects from the inside out.

I do not need men to tell me about how my dark hair cascades over my shoulders,

Or how my eyes twinkle like stars.

Tell me about the fire hidden within my soul, whose sparks catch with each poignant word I write.

Tell the girls sashaying down runways and urban streets that their footsteps can rattle the world and bring torrents of change.

Tell the girls who are suppressed by their governments and cannot be educated that they possess a clarity unseen by the world, that their intellect could start entire revolutions.

I am a woman, and for that reason, I have been given a mandate by all those who came before me.

Unsung, with beautiful voices.

Unseen, with dazzling visages.

Unheard, with inspiring wit.

I am a woman, and for that reason, I can change the world.

Like Elizabeth, like Ruth, like Diana and Joan and Michelle.

Woven into my armor—from sweatshirts to designer gowns—is power that cannot be ignored.

Painted onto my skin—from make-up to sweat to tears—is resolve that cannot be destroyed.

I am a woman, and for that reason, I am a force to be reckoned with.

I am a warrior, I am a storm. I am a marvel, I am a hero.

And I am not alone.

While Diana topples the world of man, I am gifted another power that, too, can change my world. A gift of privilege, to speak for my sisters who have yet to be heard, to allow for their voices to resonate like thunder rolling across their nations.

 I may never endure their plight, but I can feel their pain. Deep within the makings of my soul, where stars unite me with these women, these trailblazers, these heroines who have come before. 

Scream, they tell me, tell us. Rattle the world with the sound of your voice. Bring men to their knees with the force of your heart. 

Helen knew her beauty was a weapon, and for that she started a war.

We are the thousand ships, fighting for our revolution.