I Rise, I Leave, I Reign Poem by Linus Kithinji Njeru

I rise from ruin, I leave the lies,
I wipe the salt from weeping eyes.
I've begged, I've bled, I've burned, I've bent—
Now I reclaim what pain has spent.

I rise, I leave, I reign alone,
No borrowed sword, no stolen throne.
No silver spoon, no golden gate—
Just hands that shaped a different fate.

They watched me fall, they fed the fire,
They spoke in scorn, they mocked my mire.
Yet never asked if I had bread,
Or if a roof still crowned my head.

They care not if I slept or cried,
But question why my gifts have dried.
They tally what I failed to send—
Not once did they ask how I mend.

I rise, I leave, I reign with grace,
No need to prove, no need to chase.
I walked through storms they never knew—
And bled for dreams they never grew.

They called me "less" with smiling face—
Less of a man. A deep disgrace.
But I know kings aren't made by cheer,
They're carved by loss, they lead by fear.

I rise, I leave, I reign with flame,
They know my silence. They'll learn my name.
Let curses fly, let gossip grow—
My roots run deep. I'm built below.

Let mother cry—I'll make it right.
I'll trade this war to bring her light.
They say I serve while she stays bare—
I rise, I leave. And I repair.

I rise, I leave, I reign in peace,
From draining bonds I grant release.
No throne they gave, no crown they blessed—
But still, I wear my worth expressed.

They wonder where my shadow stays—
I walk in higher, holier ways.
I'm gone, but not to break or flee—
I rise, I leave... to become me.