explaining the patriarchy to an 8 year old

2023

you see it used to be
(and sort of still is)
that the men made the calls
and the women held the balls 
and had the babies
and managed the home
and made the meals
and donned the pearls
and were the glue
that like handmaids
we toiled and submitted 
and bore down until we bled
and were silent until spoken to 

but you
were born in a time of almosts and not yets
of some wins to claim for our own
in the shedding of this chrysalis 
you asked if you could be the president
now,  yes
but also 
not yet