(To the men who thought they could solve my problems by taking ownership of me.)
I am not a sin to absolve,
some puzzle to solve;
some matter in which you deign to involve.
I am not your mountain to climb,
your bell to chime,
scrubbed up and ready for bedtime.
I am not your lesser, your project,
your ingenue, lackey,
your underling, disciple,
sycophant, employee.
I am not your river to ford,
your delicate ward,
your weapon kept sheathed when you need a sword,
I am not a thing to be won,
a knot sought un-spun,
as if boundaries exist to be undone.
I am the queen of wrought iron,
with the teeth of a lion,
and the claws of a silvery drake.
Even the king of the fae,
keeps his ass out my way,
and you should too for your own sake.
Charl Landsberg is a South African poet, musician, writer, artist, and activist whose work often focuses on issues of social justice, feminism, queer rights activism and sometimes a bit of fantasy and science fiction.