You don't own me.

"You don't own me", A spoken and written word.

"There is nature versus nurture, as we are the latter we must succumb to certain torture.  Being victimized, brutalized, objectified, we can no longer be proud of our bodies.  We have been reduced down to the means of a mans hobby.  We've been told, "I own you".  As a child I have owned a lot of things, but never in my life did I own another human being.  You can't own another person, they aren't yours for the taking.  Yet every day, every hour, every minute - there are women caught up in a trafficking situation. 

The one who seduces then introduces us to prostitution.  Our existence is dependent on substance to numb the pain of the abuses.  Nothing is translucent, life is hazy.  It's not fifty shades of grey, but fifty shades of hell on earth.  Our worth is reduced to scum and to dirt.

We've been segregated, alienated, forced to take the blame, living in shame, apologizing for our existence.  We have nobody to be our witness.  We are crippled by our gender, opportunities in our lives are being hindered by our identity.  Prostitution, rape, assault, pornography - All of these have one common factor, which is me.  They all degrade us women to some degree.  Call it what you will, it is not based on free will.  We are under lock and key.  Don't get me started on all the mind games driven by our insecurity.  

You don't get to pick us out like a prize, standing us all in a line, based on the sparkle in our eyes, or the size of our thighs.  This isn't the lottery.  Our bodies are not a wonderland for you to explore.  We are not a piece of property.  You cannot purchase me.  We are not for sale.  

We are sick of our bodies being spread out on a six pack.  Walking down the street, guys shouting "I'd tap that" or "look at the rack".  They don't even think about our hearts being hacked to little pieces like the slab of meat they make us women out to be. 

Oh do I dream,  I dream of living in a society where change is a reality, where "No" is a complete sentence, and the cries of women are no longer reduced to silence.  And where the cries of women are no longer reduced to silence."