I Am Alimat Poem by Sulaiman Alimat Taiwo

I Am Alimat

I am Alimat.
I am a woman
I am a mother,
Carrying dreams on my back,
And still making room for others.

I am African.
Rooted in culture,
I am Nigerian,
Bold, bright, and burdened
By a land that teaches me to put others first
Before it teaches me rest.

The world wants me to be strong
All the time.
The world celebrates my strength,
Yet forgets my frailty.

Society believes I should never get tired,
That my smile should never fade,
That my feet should never falter.

But I am human,
And I am a woman.

The world needs to know
That I can get tired.
I may need rest.
I may weep in silence.
I may stumble.
I may act human
Because I am............

I am not made of steel,
I am made of soul.
And sometimes,
The strongest thing I can do
Is to pause.
To breathe.
To feel.
To just be........ Alimat


Dear you,
You are a woman,
And human
You are an Alimat,
Or whatever name strength wears in you.
So rise,
Stand tall,
And just be you
Unapologetically, powerfully, you.