Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Equality For Me And My Sisters

My eyes are luminous. 

My heart is alive.

My soul is hungry.
I am not defined
 by my skin

or the vessel that I live in.

I am a visionary.

I am a rebel.

I am a woman that says no.

I faced venomous snakes
 who desired to crawl on my skin.

I faced ravenous eyes that longed to devour me.

Their actions
 birthed shame rising through me.

Shame that I refused to claim.

I raised a son 
on my own

before I understood the strength,
 and the power that I had.

I raised him to be a better man than the ones I had known.

My layers unraveled,
my inner voice found,

my inner voice soaring.

My layers flooded with light
and
 the understanding of being equal.

Weaving stories of my independence

and the independence of all my sisters.

Sisters I had known
and ones 
I have yet to meet.

I understand myself.

I am valuable.

I am human.

I am love.

I am equal.

The memory leaves scars.

The memory leaves the residue of all that came 
before us.

 

32 comments:

  1. A beautiful testimony of a strong sister. I love the lines about raising sons to be better than the men one has known. Yes! "I am a visionary." Hear me roar!

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  2. <3
    I screamed a yes! when i read the venomous snakes line

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  3. this is a poem that speaks from the heart.
    i don't understand why there is still gender inequality and discrimination. i would not mind voting for a female politician, if i think that she can do the job better than her male counterpart. Look at all the countries with female presidents/prime ministers, see how well they handle the covid-19 pandemic.

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  4. Gorgeous poem. Just gorgeous. Thanks. :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks you...hello...nice to see you again.

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  5. A very strong and powerful poem!
    Dwight

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  6. "I faced venomous snakes
 who desired to crawl on my skin.

    I faced ravenous eyes that longed to devour me.

    Their actions
 birthed shame rising through me.

    Shame that I refused to claim.
"
    Brava! To say I love this is an understatement.

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  7. A hero's journey that resonates with each step on the path. Never forgotten, which is good, as the reminder to where you've come from and how you got there is important when it is time to listen and share with others on their paths. One by one we will neutralize the beast and live in the light.

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome and thank you for your telling of your journey, as it definitely bonds others with you in sisterhood. "I pity the foo who fools with [you]!" :)

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  8. This is so strong... and I hope there are men who understand this... maybe there are too many weak men who don't understand how strong women are.

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  9. Beautiful, strong, empowering, heartfelt and visceral. 👏🏼👏🏼 What more can I say? This poem comes from the heart and soul.

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  10. You are a strong woman! I salute you!

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  11. I can feel the strength and determination in your words. This is a poem about growth as a woman.

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  12. This is so evocative! More power to you!!

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  13. I love this poem, Ayala, for its courage, defiance and honesty. Inspirational and empowering.

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  14. Yesss!! I applauded you every step of the way...strong, proud and powerful sister! Thank you for writing this...I think most women can relate.

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