I hear them call me names
They say I am ugly, I am barren, I am a disgrace
I hear them label me a failure
Yet every morning, I look into the mirror
I see the stunning creature of God looking back
And I know, I am the best that I know I am.
I hear my colleagues call me names
They say I spread my legs to win favours
They call me a whore and a manipulator
I need to stay in my lane, they say
Yet after I’ve cried my eyes out in the bathroom
I look up and I know, I am the best that I know I am
I hear my peers call me names
I am stupid, naïve and too chaste
I refuse to follow in their fraudulent footsteps
To stoop to the level of bribing to get a job I am qualified for
I may not get the position that I currently deserve
But my promotion will come; I am the best that I know I am
I hear the old women call me names
I am unAfrican, heady and domineering
I make my own money and I take pride in being independent
She will never get man, they say, She will die a lonely, miserable death
Yet when I pass a window and I catch my reflection
Without a doubt, I am the best that I know I am
I hear my superiors call me names
I am imprudent, inexperienced and gullible
I am on the verge of making a big business move
One which could ruin my career or make me thrive
Discouragement tries to overwhelm me
Yet I forge on not fumbling, because I am the best that I know I am
I hear my lover call me names
I am useless, good-for-nothing except exploiting his money
I try to speak for myself but a slap greets my cheeks
I feel trapped in a loveless, hostile relationship
Friends tell me to hang in there because he provides for my needs
Yet my mirror image tells me I deserve better, I am the best that I know I am
I hear my parents call me names
I am a girl-child, a second hand member of their family
I can do no good and my education is considered a waste of resources
At times, the sudden urge to end my life engulfs me
Robe in my hand, I glance at my image staring at me in the mirror
And I know, I am the best that I know I am
I hear my guardian call me names
I
My ambition should be limited to positions for women
I want to be a medical doctor but I am told I don’t have what it takes
I fill out my university application and make my decision
For I know, I am the best that I know I am
I hear you call me names
You see yourself fit to pass down your negative judgement of me
You underestimate me, you judge me and label me
You have not an iota of understanding as to who I am
For I am equal to any task, I am more than enough
I am the best that I know I am
Written by: Ňíșšŷ Ade
