Set Me Free
Set Me Free
Although caged the bird can sing
No one can from her that freedom take
But being born a woman in here
To surrender all freedom I am compelled
My culture has chained my leaping feet
My gender has barred my flight
From my beautiful eyes, letters are hidden
Upon my mind, they force their will
I am here to knead and to weed
I am here to bleed and to breed
I must be veiled top to bottom
I am meant to stay at the bottom
Why am I married at twelve or thirteen
When I should learn to read and to write
Why should I be the third or fourth wife
When three or four men I cannot wed
Why am I divorced with a single word
Why can’t I do the same to my husband
I resent the injustice heaped on women
We are not things, we are people
I want to shatter the enslaving shackles
Of all the women fettered and gagged
I want to fly chasing the moon
Astride I want to ride the stars
Women of the world with me should rise
To fight for freedom and for our right
We are not objects for man’s pleasure
But created in love, equal to man