A thousand roads

I am who I am...
And I make no apologies,
Nor beg for understanding.
I travel high roads.. 

I seek gleaming treasures on distant shores
You choose to see the beauty you see
You choose to throw praise at me
You deny the ebbs that toss me out to sea
You accept that its a beautiful reverie...
But that doesn't change that;
I remain who I am.

I am my sun, my moon, my star
I shine, I dazzle, I live in wonder.
I am a force unleashed
I am a tough tenderness..

Call me a riddle,
Call me a river..
Call me deep still waters..
It doesn't change that..
I remain a mystery,

Who I am is not a subject,
But a beautiful encounter..
A dozen roads may emerge at sunset
But with every thirst for adventure,
Is that old familiar brook ,
That always flows back to You!

A Letter to the Thirteen Year Old me

Dear baby girl,

I know things took a little bit of a turn this year, and you have found yourself entangled in the confusion and uncertainties, still trying to figure out the changes that are going on within you, with your body, and also all around you. You are somehow different from your peers, you have just experienced a major loss in your young life, your father has gone to be with the Lord, your mother seems to have soo much to take in, yet she is trying to be strong, your younger brother and sister are perhaps too young to understand what is going on, and you feel you just have to be a little bit stronger for them..so you postpone your mourning, and that is when you decide to “lady-up”…and not let yourself break.

Its teenage hood, and yes, it cannot be ignored…there are mood swings and annoying growth pains and changes…other girls seem to be growing more curvaceous than you. Listen to me young lady, the curves will come..in all those places. Yes, they will come voluptuously, and you will wish you hadn’t made that wish, when the aches and pains from the gym workouts are nothing to laugh about, and you have to be more cautious with those calories. So enjoy your journey of transformation, you are just the right size! And oh, how beautiful you smile!

Hahah, and that boy that drives you crazy…Yea, the one who broke your heart. He may seem to be a ‘god’ right now, but 5 years from now, he will have a bad case of acne and poor personal hygiene! He will grow up to be too “serious” for your adventurous and relaxed personality, in other words, he is going to be a bore to you, and his ‘lack of ambition’ is going to make you regret your tears right now. He will marry someone he loves and who loves him. By then, you will have met other great men- in mentors and stewards, in fathers and brothers; in crazy places and in church, in facebook and in person. You will meet a whole bunch of them, and they will be CRAZY about your personality, and slender figure…and what is most special, you will meet “HIM”…the one you write about in your diaries, and dream about, and fantasize about…only he wont be exactly as you figured he’d be, but better. Why? Because he will LOVE you, as you are, as you aren’t..he will adore you, and crown you, and build you, and stay with you. So wipe your tears little girl. Your journey ahead is so exiting, you have great people to meet, and yes, you will break hearts too, but through this, you will learn, you will grow, you will mature.

You amaze me with your determination in your academics! You are such a bright girl, and people have tried to push their own dreams on you, and you feel a little pressured. They see a doctor, a pilot, an engineer, some idiot even sees you being a beautiful police woman…you see all these as a bunch of boring old careers with sad sad people..so you nod as say “I wanna be a doctor” just for them. But you want to be a brilliant smart woman who can directly impact people..you want to travel..to be able to do fun things and get a fat salary out of it. But no one has ever mentioned such a career to you. And it scares you so much, because the future seems to be a boring place where you cannot have an intelligent woman working in a different sort of field. Well, my darling..dream big, those dreams that seem too far away and unrealistic. Because at the end of the day it wont be about the “title” or the “salary” that will bring you joy. Following your heart…will give you much more joy that you can imagine! Keep reading, keep writing, keep doing what feels good in your heart, all those people trying to impose careers on you are just an unhappy bunch really, and a few years from now, they will be at the same same place they are today. Start looking for mentors, start searching your soul,seek guidance from above, because the future is bright and so much exiting!

Young girl, things are not permanent. They get better with time, you get stronger, you get wiser. The journey ahead is filled with some hard tough times. Your resilience will be tested, your faith will be put on trial, you will sometimes have to walk alone, you will also have angels sent your way. No matter what happens, always remember that you are stronger than you think you are, you will rise above all of them! You will stand tall in the hardest of circumstances, and you will have many triumphs. Your journey is unique. The only constant and sure thing through it all, is that God will walk with you as He is now. He wont go ANYWHERE! So relax, you’ve got all you need!

What mama’s teaching you is so much more relevant than what they will teach you in school. What you learn in school will mostly fade with time, but the values and character she is building in you will last forever. They will take you places. They will be your source of promotion, they will get you a place at high tables, they will get you further than your books or academic achievements! Whats more, listen to her preaching, observe her lifestyle, and imitate how she loves the Lord. Because those are the things that will make you stand as a woman. That is the pedestal upon which you will influence the world. Oh, and on that note, mom will be just fine! J 

There is so much I can tell you about the future little girl. So much! But I want to tell you to look to the future with an assurance. To build yourself and others, to trust God above all, to spread your wings, raise your head higher, smile alittle brighter, stand a lot taller. You will be alright young lady. And there is no telling the impact you will have on this world! You will be a mentor, a friend to many, a wife, a mother, an inspiration to another thirteen year old just like you. You were born for a purpose, and to that purpose, greatness is attached. You are not just a thirteen year old, you are a mark for this generation, and those to come.

P.S….Usher is not really the hottest man on earth, neither is Robo-cop.:-D

Love,

The Future You! 

Phenomenal Woman By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,That's me.

 
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.




 Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me. 

 

-Maya Angelou