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etymon

the oxford english dictionary defines 'female'

By kpPublished about a year ago 1 min read
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etymon
Photo by Dainis Graveris on Unsplash

this poem utilizes the OED definition of female as scaffolding to tell the story of "woman." everything in italics is directly from the dictionary's definition.

born female, a cylindrical cavity to receive, to be affixed, capable of bearing fruit! Fe (the iron) male, when we don’t. the mythical being resembling woman when we’re not. french stole latin when naming their world, distinguishing the smaller or lesser of two: female. the obsolete: inferior. the rare: qualities or actions of man befitting or characteristic of a woman: weak; petty. fe/wo: feral is a divergence from domesticity, a reclamation. wo/fe: rohypnol becomes a false blotto to feminize the unsuspecting. the male need to situate begat effeminate. begat emasculate. begat enfeeble. the female weakness, gynecological afflictions, bore you.

social commentaryslam poetryperformance poetrynature poetryart
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About the Creator

kp

I am a non-binary, trans-masc writer. I work to dismantle internalized structures of oppression, such as the gender binary, class, and race. My writing is personal but anecdotally points to a larger political picture of systemic injustice.

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