We are told to stand tall 
Like the Redwoods 
We are told to be strong
Like a mountain of granite
We are told to be free
Like a raging river
But after fighting for years to get 
That tall
That strong
That free
The trees are cut down
The stone is eroded
And the river is dammed
We become a bird that once used to fly
But now is surrounded by bars of steel
Slamming down
Cutting off every exit
Until there is none left
They tell us what to do
But take away the means to get there
They expect us to sit idle
While they clip our wings
And tether us down
We fought for generations
To get to where we are
But it is still not enough
But now they want to take away
The progress
Of our mothers
Of our grandmothers
Of all the women that came before us