Feminist Poems With Year 8

I am Poet in Residence at a girls' secondary school. In Year 8 they have been learning about feminism, and I recently worked with some of the classes to create poetry around this theme. I was conscious not to 'mansplain' to them, or to go over the shoulds-and-shouldn'ts of the issue; instead, I was keen to discuss what feminism meant to them. Using this wonderful poem by Sojourner Truth as inspiration, students wrote their own poems. Here are a couple of interesting examples from the students I worked with:

I Can by Haleema

Be a famous mathematician,

With lots of awards.

Have a huge house and

work as a fireman.

I can

Be a scientist and dissect

animals and creatures.

Be a professional footballer

and play for famous clubs.

I can

Wear green and blue

tops with tracksuit bottoms.

Go fighting for my country

and put my life at risk.

I can

go to work as a plumber

whilst men stay at home and clean.

Get a degree in English

and move to a new city on my own.

I can.

Poem by Maryam

When I was a baby

It was all about cuteness

It was all about protection

It was all about me.

No one else but me.

Five years old and five times more strictness.

It was all about being careful,

Making sure I don’t bang into something.

It was all about learning how to write.

I could do it and I was only a little girl.

It came to a point when

I could do what I believed was called “anything”

I could dress how I wanted to

I could play whatever I wanted to

I could do “anything”.

Now it was a time

A time where I had to be extra careful

Outside in the REAL world

Whenever I could actually go out

I would always be with someone

Making sure nothing bad happens.

I am a girl.

I’m strong

I’m confident

I can take care of myself

I don’t need this whole overprotection thing

This thing when my parents would always be there

All the time.

Boys aren’t everything!

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)