Discovered on The Drabble, a beautiful poem written from the perspective of an African Muslim Woman about identity and self-discovery. It’s written so honestly and yet so delicately. Hope you enjoy it! :)
By deenprogress
Labels,
From the moment of birth…
“It’s a Girl!”
Stay with us,
As we grow….
First-Born, Example-to-her-sibs.
Shaping us,
While malleable….
Smart; socially awkward; Bookworm.
Into Self.
We acquire some of our own…
Muslimah*, Munaqqabah*.
In this life of Meaning,
Relationships define us….
Mother, Daughter, Wife, Sister, Friend.
Yet, still, are those
Others seek to attach….
Generations-, Cultures-, Decades-thick
Truth, with her identical twin; Not-so-true
Who I should be.
These labels we wear, give, inherit, bequeath
Willingly, Unwittingly, Grudging, Proud
Burying the Human, Unique.
I peel; weary, wary
Affirming this, Rejecting that
Hoping, someday, to find; amidst it all;
Me.
“I write to tackle life from an African Muslim Woman’s perspective.” – the writer
I Write Her 
I bow. I say yes. I nod, nod again. And resonate with the experience. This poem was/is an experience of powerful listening.
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Yes, and most importantly, with the ability for absorption and comprehension of all information gathered.
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