YES, I AM A WOMAN By Itohan Ekle

Yes, I am a woman,
But I am also human.

Yes, I am a woman,
But I possess a free mind.

I am a true one,
With stories of perseverance,
That has stretched across generations.

I might be a woman,
But I won’t be society’s crude,
To refine and sell however they deem fit.

I won’t accept the sexist slur,
“Shake for the dollar,” as a compliment or as “empowerment.”

I am a woman, yes, but I will brood.
Over every storm life throws my way.

I shall not accept any labels,
Because I have a free mind,
From a free kind.

Many women have sacrificed everything,
For someone like me to even,
be able to choose.

I will also sacrifice everything one day,
So that generations to come,
Will only hear there was once,
Something called gender inequality,
But it will not be their reality.

My mother always says I look like,
Her grandmother, who lived beyond 100.
I am indeed a reflection of my feminine ancestors.
In my former life, I was a warrior.
I am a woman.
I will resist any intruder,
Trying to define me,
Irregularly.

I am a woman,
But I am not a second-class human.

I am a woman.
And I am proud of who I am.

I am a woman.
I am a free tribe.
Not to be confused,
With a caged type.

I am a raised kind,
From lies that
Went down centuries ago.

I am a woman,
And I am a schooled type—
Schooled in wisdom beyond academics,
Beyond norms.

I will not confuse the “b” word for entertainment,
Nor applaud it.

I am a woman,
And I am a cruiser,
Not to be chained to one,
Thing and one thing alone.

I am a woman,
And I love me.
This is my humanity.

Despite the sexist stereotypes,
I am proud of being a true one.
My struggles have built me up,
Connecting me to years of fight.

I am a woman,
And I am a fighter.
I wouldn’t have ‘me’ any other way way.