They thought we’d be quiet.

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Obedient.

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Pretty.

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But I wasn’t hungry for platitudes—I wanted equality.

I am a Wife—though, incidentally, not a mother.

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I thought I was supposed to be nurturing. Gentle. Helpful. But I’m not that kind of wife.

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Inspired by Judy Brady’s iconic essay “I Want a Wife,” this poetic response is for every woman who’s ever been expected to carry it all—and smile while doing it.

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This poem is a non-satirical satire adaptation, because we can take the “What? I was just joking” route too.

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Not That Kind of Wife is for every woman who refuses to shrink, who speaks loud in a world that wants her silent.

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