scent of a woman

you have to dress to kill
in short and low and black
walk a mile
with a glittering diamond
on each hand, with a small
jewel handbag, high heels
a billion dollar smile
glittering
at midnight, all alone
to understand freedom

you have to see the world
in a leopard skin jumpsuit
so tight you can breathe
every now and then
but the ripples around
make it worth your while
you learn what a little change
can mean

you have to live
life in a black shroud
with a square window
for your eyes
you have to blend into a crowd
perfect with sweat and bleeding tears
to understand
ID

you have to spread your hair
unwash your face
you have to tear your clothes
and ravage your skin with age
you have to be ignored
on grand scales
before you understand need
or love

you have to shorten your skirts
and plunge your neck
show vast windows of scarred skin
and bury your soul
you have to live
like an aging porn star
with a new disease
to understand sympathy
or respect

you have to burn your skin
with lil cigarette fires
you have to wear makeup
with a dash of hydrochloric acid
you have to take a knife
to slice your loins in two
twenty times
to understand abuse

you have to wait
on a row of endless clones
for your turn to go up
and take a seat
that they refused
because you were weak
with breasts and a womb
you had a single purpose
for the world, till today
you have to wait and
understand equality