Before You Go... Poem by Aiah Abdelghani

Before you go...
May I please just say a few things
How it ended was sudden, a slit to my heart
Laying behind a closet door in tears, rip my heart
Sitting on a bench in a park, I think my heart is failing
Sleeping overnight upon stone, I simply do not feel
Thrown into the streets at 3am, believe me there's fear
Sleeping beneath a roof, yet empty inside
Before you go...
I will say a few words
My heart does not stop feeling, therefore I fight
Uncertainty keeps me alive, the fire of insecurity
I travel between countries to find myself, I found me
Complete freedom to live life on my own terms
Even if I have nothing, even with everything
I fly beyond myself into a unheard of world
Before you go...
I must say this
The rebel was given a cause
A voice given to those without power
Roaming the streets chanting freedom
Running into battle defending 'I can't breath'
Clashing with systemic racism, no fear in my bones
Shots fired within the crowd
Yet, I am free to own a voice far more powerful
To narrate my future, the writer, producer, director
So, before you go, remember there is no woman like me in your life
A woman who fought to love a man,
a woman who fought for her freedom,
a woman who fought for the voice of others,
a woman who fought to become greater than her demons
a woman who fought to define her words by actions
Strength elated by a passion to live