This is inspired by Sojourner Truth and her legendary speech “Aint I a Woman.”
Yes.
I am a woman.
I am the woman.
I have loved the husbands
Nurtured the babies
Taken the beatings
Worked the fields
All at the same time.
And yet I did it all with grace.
I have managed to keep my back straight
With the weight of the world bearing down on it.
I have managed to keep my head held high
When nobody seemed to cherish me.
Nobody has to tell me I’m strong
Because my very survival is evidence of my strength.
Nobody has to tell me I'm beautiful
Because this I know.
From high yellow to jet black
Every shade of me is beautiful.
You can not categorize me because I cannot be contained.
You can not define me because I am beyond your explanations.
You can not kill me because I am infinite.
I’ve got a certain something that you just can’t put your finger on.
Something inside so strong that I’ve survived
Centuries of hopelessness and hoped anyway.
Centuries of lovelessness and loved anyway.
I went from slavery to freedom in a heartbeat
And taught my children to forgive.
I raised up dignitaries with no dignity of my own.
Still, they call my confidence aggression and my pride arrogance.
They say I have an attitude.
Well, if I seem to have an attitude, I do.
I do not apologize.
My sons are killing each other and my daughters have forgotten how to love.
So I have work to do.
You call it attitude. I call it fire.
I’ve got to have the fire inside to keep up the struggle.
I just want to go on the highest mountain and camp out with God, right now. I want to scream to the top of my lungs, cry out to the heavenly beings, and swing in a circle until I create a whirlwind so strong that when I come down off the mountains things have changed in our society. I could feel the cry of hope in Sojourner Truth's poem, Ain't I a Woman. I could feel the hope and desperate need you have to inspire all women in your poem in response to Sojourner Truth's poem. I am in desperate need of spiritual help right now. I am questioning myself, wondering am I in denial, wondering am I so blind, wondering why I have this heavy burden for our black women, when it seems as though all I keep hearing is they are the problem. I feel comfortable now saying alot of women are in this situation, but my focus is on black women. From Capitol Hill to the Projects we continue to hear it takes two checks, correction about 4-5 checks now because they make the kids work now too. I must add this includes the churches as well. In my mind, there is a battle going on, I see how so many MEN, can't handle pressure and they drink uncontrollably, abuse drugs, seek instant pleasure from whores, spend time with their "dawgs", they leave a good woman and their children to fend for themselves. Going to church is not a top priority, I didn't say they don't attend church. Church is not that important to them and neither is God. Women didn't just jump out of their place, men forced them in positions they do not want to be in. And it didn't start today it started back as far and the Judges days, where Barak wouldn't do what God told him to do unless Deborah came with him. And God gave the glory to the woman Judges 4 chapter. The average woman wants a man who is committed to GOD and not just their jobs. She wants a man who truly loves to spend time with his family and time alone with his wife. She wants a man who will truly allow her to be home and enjoy being home. She wants a man who truly loves going to church and participating in the majority of the activities that are going on their. I am out hear in this work field and constantly hear my husband would not dare let me stay home. My husband would not dare let me pay tithe, I have to sneak and do. My husband has other plans rather than, coming to church during the week. The average women never tells how her husband really is when it comes down to having faith in GOD. Most men don't have faith in GOD, they don't trust him, and in not doing so the man is disobedient to GOD. Yet, he constantly reminds his wife she is to obey him. This world isn't in a mess because of women, it is because of men who think of themselves more highly than they ought to think. It amazes me how they try to force women to submit to them, but they won't submit wholeheartedly to God. So we as women, have to lean on God and continue to love our husbands and nurture our babies. Keep our backs straight. God cherishes us and he will help us to continue to stand. So keep hoping, loving, forgiving, giving, and standing for God, help is on the way.
ReplyDeleteGrace
I can feel the women frustration in this poem. Black women who I am more focus on now are always being accuse of having attitude because of the way we express ourselves. When we really ae trying to get our point across. We are so use to ringing our necks that's apart of our cultrual of who we are. Does that make us a bad person hell no! We as black women must lean and depend on God fo our help we will be misunderstood but one thing about it our God knows and he looks on the heart.We are strong women and most men want admit it but we can take way more pain than they can. God has design us to be that way. We love unconditionally and we take a whole lot. Sure there are strong black me out there who truly loves God and are leading there families in the right way. But there are very few. We as women can work on a job all day come home cook nuture the child listen to the husband give him a little nooky lay down late and still get up the next morning for work again. We get accuse of never sitting down being still. That's why God said in his word who can find a Virtuous woman that let you know she is a rare breed. We can do it all even if we have a job. Because we like to see our familes happy and we want to make sure we are doing right by God. So women of today need to find someone to get there frustrations out another women we can trust to let us know we are not alone and and encourage us to do the right thing and still at the end of the day. I found so many women are afraid to voice how they feel because they think that they are alone. We as black women need to be proud of ourselves not to put white women down but most of them can't handle the presure and kill all there childrens even sometimes themselves. We are strong creature of God and somethings we must do is tell God and him alone. I find it strange a man can walk off and leave his family and its not much of a big deal. But let that women get frustrated and walk off and leave her family shes fit for nothing she's no good that's a shame. Men do it all the time. We as black women are strong and we will do whatever it takes for our familiesi if it means take a lesser pay work two or three job we are willing. I say to the good women out there keep doing what's right in the eyes of God. Keep prayer in your life remain faithful all the way to the end. And let the life we live speak for us.
ReplyDelete