I am Tired

I am tired.

Tired of men who say

“Not All Men”

Of course not all men.

But ask yourself-

Why are you outraged?

Why do you need me

To hand you a certificate.

A certificate you can frame

And hang above your desk

So you can look at it often and say,

“I am not like other men.

I am different”.

Why can’t you show you are different?

By speaking up

By calling out every gaze that lingers longer than it should

Every casual brush of a stray hand

Every sexist remark

Every attempt to mansplain

Every example of misogyny.

“If I did that, I would be doing nothing else”,

You tell me.

Exactly! You will be doing nothing else.

Now think of me

That is what I face every day

Every single day

Every hour of every day.

The constant scrutiny.

The judgement

The unsolicited advice.

I face it.

You have a choice-

You can speak up, or remain silent.

You will still get your shiny medal-

‘Not All Men’.

I do not have a choice

I cannot hide my gender

I have to face it everyday.

I have to face you everyday.

And I am tired

Tired of fighting

Tired of having to explain myself

Tired of asking you to understand.

Tired.

Just tired.