I Choose To Challenge Poem by Leena Amwaalwa

'What would society think'?
'What would people say'?
'What if I fail'?
'What if things don't work out'?
'What if no one supports me'?
On and on, I'd reason.
Looking for excuses not to try.
Looking for reasons not to do what I was meant to do.
Doing everything I can to limit myself and my abilities.
Belittling my talents and demeaning my potential.
Going extra miles to hide behind other people's voices while ignoring my own.
Well, I am no longer that girl.
For, today, I choose to challenge.
I choose to ask questions.
In the society that wants me to whisper, I choose to yell.
In the community that expects me to be seen and only be seen, I choose to be seen, to be heard and to dream.
I choose justice over sympathy.
I choose equity over equality.
I choose to support and build.
I choose to stand up about what matters, even if I'm alone, especially if I'm alone.
I choose to be an equal partner at the table of discussions.
I choose to be bold, fierce yet graceful.
I choose to enforce change and give life a better face.
I choose to mend, tend and mentor.
I choose to lift as I rise, to support as I go.
I choose to accept that I'm enough, but I still need others.
That I have a purpose, that I am redeemed and loved.
And that I matter.