A Life in Titles
Before I was born / I was already joy to my parents / and when I came out from the belly I'd swam in for months / I became daughter / grand daughter/ only child / rainbow kid / niece / cousin / princess / descendant / ancestor./
As I grew / mum and dad knew themselves again / & from where I came did come another / his presence birthing more titles. / So, I also became elder sister / first child / role model./
Against my will, I grew older / and soon I was pupil / bookworm / nerd / geek / friend. / My height increased but nothing else did. / Secondary School came knocking, puberty changing everyone but me / and added to my titles were / laughing stock / perfect human to body shame / the bullied one. / I drowned in depression / but I smiled still / clothes covering the scars I tattooed on my skin with my fingernails / my hair burying the scars my hands designed on my scalp./
And during all this / when I cried myself to sleep and thought of ways to die / they never let me forget / that would become wife / daughter in law / sister in law / mother / aunty / and more in the future and so I couldn't drag my feet / act like something was wrong / because despite how hard life was / I was going to see worse / and being a woman, I had to endure./
Some titles I've embraced / others destroyed & right now, added to the ones I've kept / I'm also wanderer/ sojourner / work in progress/ a paradox in human form / mistake maker / lesson learner / truth teller / unbridled female / free spirit.
About the Author: Adebisi Amori is a creative writer and student from Nigeria. Her works focus on identity, heritage and mental health. She believes in the power of words to create positive change in the world. You can always find her with a book in hand. She enjoys research, listening to music and having conversations with people.
