Bloom Poem by Afia Gyimah

I am the wilting flower,
Bent but unbroken,
The scars etched on my skin,
Testaments of the battles fought within
I gather my broken pieces,
Like scattered petals on the ground,
And with tender hands, I weave them back,
A mosaic of strength, no longer under attack
In the depths of my heart's ache,
I find solace, a love that won't forsake,
For within me, a universe resides,
A wellspring of power that never subsides
I choose to love the parts of me,
That society deems flawed, unworthy,
My curves, my flaws, my radiant soul,
They're all pieces of a beautiful whole
In each line, a declaration of my worth,
A testament to the resilience of my birth
I am more than the labels imposed,
More than the pain I once enclosed,
For I am a phoenix, rising from the ash,
Reclaiming my voice, embracing my past
So let the world witness my metamorphosis,
As I shed old skin, embracing wholeness,
With vulnerability as my guiding light,
I'll heal, I'll rise, I'll shine so bright
For in this vulnerability, I find my power,
In the footsteps of ancestors, I'll bloom and flower