I’m tired of being the strong black woman
Tired of caring for the young on my own
Of always being the shoulder to cry on
Being the one that seems to feel no pain.
I’m tired of loving
Yet being alone in the still of night
I’m tired of being told to speak up,
Then asked to shut up
I’m told a man has to be a man
Can a woman then, be a woman?
I’m tired of being the strong black woman
Fighting for the best at all times
The best jobs, the best schools, the best degrees
That are then not recognized when all and sundry
Think I had to sleep with someone to get where I am
I want to live with the courage of a woman
I want the right to say what I truly feel
I’m tired of stroking egos
I don’t want to be a man
I want to be treated like the woman that I am
For I am an adult,
A caregiver, a friend, a lover
And I want to hold my head high
And be free to walk with the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child
PoP (c) 15 Feb 07
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3 comments:
beautiful and very deep
powerful! the new (kenyan) woman speaks through your poetry. one daring to be herself, needing no validation of her womanhood and her feelings! respect and power to you, sista!
You write so beautifully and express yourself so powerfully. You speak for the women and all oppressed everywhere.
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