Olga's Poetry & Thoughts

Every time I close my eyes, I see the fire That aches where you burned me last I am a woman of the earth and the cool soil Where life ferments and earthworms roam I can't survive the lava that pulses beneath The crust of this beautiful land Yellow dandelions piercing the grass Emerald pockmarked with gold I wish sometimes that I wasn't a woman of the earth I wish that I were stronger I wish that my bones were made of steel And my heart of flame So that I wouldn't fall apart at every Crude remark, every Light tug, every Covert attack That rolls off the back of a fire-woman Instead, my skin is transluscent  Like the morning dew  My muscles pieced together With tree sap and mushrooms What's an earth-woman to do In a world engulfed by fire? But root herself firmly to one place Grow a network of twisting underground limbs And create a stable home To escape the chaos of this world

I know too many beautiful women who hate themselves. Because they've been taught, from a young age, that their key to success and happiness is in their looks. That their long hair must be cherished, just as men cherish their careers. And not just hair...also nails polished, legs waxed, toes crammed awkwardly into pointy stiletto heels, breasts sweating uncomfortably beneath layers of padding, underwires digging into the skin, leaving pink imprints that stay there long after the bra has been taken off for the night, eyebrows plucked, skin rinsed, face powdered, arms slathered in creams that smell like strawberries. It's hard not to hate oneself when there's so many steps to remember, when walking out of the house is not as simple as walking out of the house, when one must never forget that the world is watching you. Some think that young, beautiful women don't have problems, but I haven't seen a more troubled demographic. We are constantly picking each other apa...

A few months ago, I went to get my hair cut at the local shopping mall, and the female hairdresser engaged in some small talk with me. "So do you live in Oakville with your parents?" she asked, as she washed my hair with shampoo. "No, I actually live in an apartment by myself. Well, with my two cats," I answered. "And you can afford it? As a teacher?" she asked, bewildered.  I didn't really know how to respond. I don't think a male teacher would have been asked the same question, and this really irked me. This is just one of the ways in which women are prejudiced against in our society, even in our progressive Canadian one. Entering the workforce and official "adult life" I've been shocked, in 2018, how many difficulties and biases I had to clear up and overcome just because I am 1) a young millennial and 2) a woman.  Another example: When I went to the bank today, the financial advisor asked me no less than 3 times...

Since a young age, we girls are told That Prince Charming is raw and bold That one fateful day when our eyes do meet I’ll behold a smile and glance so sweet I’ll forever know that he’s the one Into the sunset we will run I was never told that love’s a mess A numbing game of playing chess All that’s missing are the pawns And the checkerboard is also gone Love’s not linear, but rather round Chasing one’s own tail around I want Prince Charming, and want him now But he’s out of reach, I don’t know how To be a true suburbanite With my kids, flying kites Gardening tulips at dawn While Prince Charming mows the lawn But I digress—true, love’s a mess A curse that leaves you in distress There’s no straight path to destiny It’s a forest too dark to see Against all odds I’ll venture on For my life’s barely begun My heart is sprouting, still My soul lies on the windowsill Since a ...

My adolescence was unique. I went to an International Baccalaureate high school, but stayed clear of the advanced program. The main reason was because I hated math. I didn't see a point in it, it was stressful, and the sight of formulas and shapes made me squirm in revulsion. Many kids detest math, but my IB school prided itself in its advanced mathematics and science programs. There is nothing wrong with that. We need experts in STEM subjects in the world in order to progress modern society. However, all other aspects of academia, like literature and art (my two favourite hobbies) were cast into the shadows as useless and taboo subjects. Some of my classmates weren't that nice to me, either. As the editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper for an unprecedented two consecutive years, I did not make the "cool" list among my peers. Not because I was "geeky," but because I liked... liberal arts. I would get passing comments like, "have fun wor...

This is how you should act if you want to be a tease Just drop a pen and twirl around 360 degrees Bite your lip and shoot a glance that will make his heart raw And wear a shirt that reveals just a sliver of your bra Ask a question that you definitely know the answer to Then nod and smile and act as if he's a genius to you Compliment his scent and ask if he likes yours Then yawn and sigh, play hard to get, as if he is a bore When your lips are a shade just right When your dress is almost too tight When your smile is fake and bright When you're sad, alone at night This is when it's time to tease To have the men beg at your knees To have them buy you champagne and flowers So that you're occupied at every hour To disguise your loneliness with a mad, feigned power

Murder is not an accident It is premeditated, filled with cruel intent Not a clumsy tumble down the stairs Murder is not guilty until proven innocent You are not jailed for being at the scene of the crime Murder is not an error in judgment: it is malicious It is not the innocent mess-up of forgetting to take your pill Or using a condom that is defective Murder is forcing women to use coat-hangers Or to seek an unlicensed doctor in the back alleys In order to rid themselves of something they never asked for Murder is silencing the voices of coherent adults Who have the right to vote To work To run for president Murder is telling them that they do not have the right To their own wombs Due to out-of-context words written in an old book And the bloody and destructive need to keep up traditions Traditionally, murder can be an accident When a woman goes to work, does sports, when she is pregnant And has a miscarriage by accident Traditionally, murder can be guilty until...

Rape culture: a term that is flung around to explain everything from teen suicides to summer hit songs. But what does rape culture really entail? I've been doing a good amount of research on this topic for one of my ethics courses, but I have much more to say than the assignment's word limit allows. Why am I sharing my thoughts about this topic with the web universe? Because I want to purge myself of my strong minded opinions, and hopefully inspire some of my blog readers to have counter-arguments, agreements, and opinions of their own. What is so fundamentally wrong with the portrayal of men and women in society is that we have categorized 7 billion people into two categories, based on nothing else but biological sex. One half of the population, the women, have a "profile" and the men have a different profile. This is troubling because each person is a unique individual, and there are very few people who match their profile in the least. Here are some of the mo...

The sky is composed of hues of teal and pink As the sun retires for the day This paradise of perfection glistens and gleams Licking away all liquor drops of dismay Each and every mansion on this hillside of elegance Has the exact same appearance as the last The sea of red roofs blends into the horizon This current of bricks so vast... The children tickle each other in the sandbox Parents observing them, chewing ice-creams This world is simply too ideal to be true This paradise must be from a catalogue of dreams And on the towering, most prominent hill There rests the most hideous looking house the town has seen The windows are shattered, doorknobs breaking in two Garage leaking onto the streets with gasoline All kids are forbidden from going up there And no adult would ever risk their life for curiosity’s sake But one very adventurous, special young boy Knew that this would be one risk he must take Climbing up the steep, slippery slope The heat of the sunlight...