A girl
(Courtesy of Tzu-Li Kuo / Malala Fund)
A girl
She wanted to be a kung fu star in Chinese movies.
Ma said girls don’t do kung fu.
She learned it from YouTube, skimming over the bamboo trees.
A girl
She begged Ba to see a volcano in India.
Ba thought it was far and risky.
She opened her National Geographic, feeling rivulets of fire.
A girl
She asked her brother to teach her to sail.
Her brother refused because it was dangerous.
She weighed anchor, steering across the Pacific.
A girl
She desired to land on the Moon.
Her commander mocked, “It’s not a woman’s job.”
She advanced one small step, wandering in the space.
A girl
She longed to be a tech innovator.
Her competitor said, “Girls are not born for tech.”
She shined at the GeekPark, breaking gender stereotypes.
Girls
We hoped to chase our dreams.
They alerted us the obstacles.
We stepped our feet on the new territory, crossing the boundary to explore the unknown world.
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