I Break the Bias | International Womens Day | Poetry
Happy International Women’s Day!
This poem is dedicated to every woman breaking the bias and being awesome in everything they do,
I Break the Bias
I had been told
I could not go further…. sometimes, I could not pinpoint
The persons or issues who stood to block my sun
Sometimes, they win the battle in my mind
Sometimes, their reticence kills me slowly
Sometimes, the anxiety of waiting to hear back
From them wounds my spirit,
I am always waiting.
I wait for their affirmations
I wait for their consolations
But help from them never comes.
They break me over time
I become a shadow of myself
Because they wore me down
With their judgement, disdain and mistrust
But, I am more than my fears
I am more than my tears
I am more than what they expect
I am more than my pain
I am here for every gain
I am more than every dissappoinment
I am more than your doubts
I am more than your nervousness
I am not the rich darkness of my skin or the spots on my face
I am not my brokenness and my despair
I am not my weakness and my scars
If you look again, I am something good
I challenge gender stereotypes and bias
I celebrate and inspire innovation
I increase the visibility of creative women
I educate women on their health choices
I build inclusive workplaces so women thrive
I applaud equality for women in sport and tech
I empower women everywhere
Intentionally, I break the bias and create spaces
For women -like me- to breathe again.
I am not my pain nor my scars
I am telling stories to empower
Women like me, who against all odds
Caused the sun to stand still.
Look again, I am something: really good!
Tee Adeyemo is the Publisher of Ladies Corner Magazine.