Because I couldn't march

I think some women realize that something isn’t right with the world. 

I think some women realize that we’ve made progress.

I think some women never knew otherwise.

I think some women feel all of these things and become confused.

I think some women feel all of these things and become angry.

I think some women feel all of these things and become enlightened.

I dress up in suits and meet with gentlemen CEOs and CFOs and all those titles

that command respect for their position and their ability to inspire fear in those below

And sometimes I feel like they view me as an equal

And I become positive and hopeful and it allows me to focus on bigger things like how to make the world a better place with my efforts and abilities

And then I see how they look below my eyes to that place that reminds me I am not equal

I am something less than

I am an object

I am something not to be taken seriously

Or they call me honey

Or they say something that implies I must seek approval of my male counterpart 

To justify my existence

I must justify my existence

They must justify my existence

And the good people of the world think I must be crazy to think and say these things

To bring light to these things that are said

To bring light to these things that do happen

Because surely in our just version of this world these things are not happening

These things are of the stone ages

These things are exaggerations

And I feel shame

And I feel sadness

And I feel impotence

And I feel apathy

From others and from myself

But mostly from myself

And that feeds my shame

And it feeds my anger

And it feeds my hatred

And it makes me think of them as objects

And it makes me one of them

And it makes me no better than them.

Despite all of this

I am hopeful.

These backward things drift away with the ages.

The sadness I feel is that I will drift away along with it.

I will not be around to see how young men grow into decent men

who look women in their eyes.

Who look women in their eyes.

Who look women in their eyes.