I have known the fear
of being unseen,
of being overlooked or misunderstood,
but I have never known the fear
of walking through the world
as you do,
as a woman,
feeling the eyes that linger,
the words that cut,
the hands that reach too easily.
I know your strength,
and I know the weight of it,
how it bends but does not break,
how you carry it quietly,
and never ask for help.
But I see you,
and I would be the guard at your back,
the protector of your peace.
I would shield you from the things
that seek to harm,
even if only by standing beside you,
by holding the space
between you and the world
with all the love I can give.
I cannot know your journey fully,
but I stand in awe of it,
and I want nothing more than to
take the weight off your shoulders,
to offer you a safe place to rest
from the constant battle
of simply existing.