The girl in the red coat – A poem

I will be the girl in the red coat.
I will be the one they look at
For a second longer.
I will be the one who turns heads.
I will be the exchanges of murmurs
And whispers.
I will be loud
For the first time.
I will be
Loud.
I am tired
Of being quiet
But I’m never sure if I’m allowed
To be loud.
But the girl in the red coat
Is allowed
To be loud.
I never wanted my footprint
To damage the earth under my feet
But not even making a footprint
Is not good enough at all.
Instead I want to grow
From my footprint
So they can see me
And where I’ve been.
Because I am important too.
I am important just like everyone else.
I sometimes forget that,
But the girl in the red coat
Would never forget
Such an obvious notion.

I will be the girl in the red coat.
I will have a purpose
And they all know it.
They will see how I walk
As my red coat moves past them in a blur.
I have a purpose.
I will be the girl in the red coat.
I will be the one they all want to discover.
I will be mysterious
Because all they see is my red coat.
I won’t be ashamed to be me
Because they don’t have to see
When I’m under my red coat.
My red coat will allow me to hide
Without being hidden
And it will show me that I don’t have to hide.
I don’t have to hide.
I never have to hide.
But my red coat will allow me to grow underneath
While they all gaze at the mysteries
Of the possibilities
That could be
The girl in the red coat.
My red coat will grow into my veins
As much as it breathes into the world
And soon the girl in the red coat
Will still be that girl
When she takes it off.

I am allowed to be loud.
I am important.
I have a purpose.
I never have to hide.
I will be the girl in the red coat.
And I will learn to be her
Even
Without it.