The Past
December 19th, 1998.
As memories of the past come to life before my eyes, it is that very date where the first page of our story lies.
To my mother.
Though no concoction of words will be able to express my gratitude towards you, I hope you understand that all I am is because of the person you have created yourself to be.
My first ever breath is indebted to your presence,
All I will ever be is due to your essence.
Behind the hours you’ve spent gardening my soul
Are the struggles of life which have taken their toll.
To everyone, woman and girl who lived before my time,
I dedicate these words, this passion, these rhymes.
Success in fields that were fearlessly pursued
Are testimony to every time you stood up despite being bruised.
Whether it’s the words of Harper Lee awake minds with emotion and thought or the discovery of radioactivity by Marie Curie that is still to this day being taught,
Every female in my past deserves a page in our book.
All you have to do is open your eyes to yesterday and simply take a look.
The Present
“There’s no time like now!” or so they say.
So here’s to all the women who make the present worth a stay.
The existence of my mother paints my days gold,
For it is her wisdom that I will continue to guard as I grow old.
The support of my friends exceeds those of my painted in my dreams,
To all of you I attribute my radiance, I attribute my gleam.
The teachers who practice patience and strength of the heart,
All of my success is indebted to the simple dedication of your art.
To every 21st century girl working on her mission,
Never determine your worth by what a man says, especially if he’s a politician.
The Future
The future stands in my vision like a distant diamond sky,
one I can touch if I can bring myself to try.
Though I don’t know what it holds or what song I am destined to sing,
I hold faith in a female future and the promise it brings.
The success of yours truly coupled with that of your own
Will lead the pathway to a life fit for a throne.
If my destiny allows a baby girl to be born,
I urge you all to cultivate a rosy future, one without the thorns.
May my words inspire all of you as your life unfurls
For Queen B once said: “Who run the world?”