Written by Ifeoluwa Yusrah on Tuesday, November 26, 2024

A woman.
Strong, yet tender, carved by the tides of resilience.
Doomed to be run down by the masculinity she serves.
One that sees her strength as a threat, her beauty as a tool.
Her existence, reduced to a whispered fantasy,
bound by the shackles of others' desires.

A Woman.
Forced to shrink her thoughts,
to dim the brilliance and intricacies of her mind,
in a world run by the patriarchy's firm grip.

Her voice—too powerful for the faint hearted, falls on deaf ears and dismissive hearts, merely
because,

"Who spoke?" They ask.
"Oh, it's a girl.
" A sneering reply.

Words ignored before they are heard.
Thoughts silenced before they bloom.
Because how dare she think?
How dare she speak?
How dare she exist beyond their set rules?

Yet still, Like an eagle, she ascends.
Like fire, her voice prevails.
Her will, unyielding.
Her words, a beacon of hope.
And her essence, eternal and ethereal.