Poems of Tomorrow

What I can give

I can not give you many things,
It pains me to say.
I can not hand over my will to speak,
I simply can not just sit still,
and ignore,
What people want me to ignore.

Nor can I just be a pretty face;
I can not give you gleaming eyes,
Or soft, fragrant hair,
Or the perfect outfit.
I can not braid my hair
like the others do,
I am unable to laugh,
And giggle unconditionally,
At whatever you want.
I am not the beauty you desire,
Or the obedient girl,
Society desires.
I am me, and no matter how hard,
You try, or I try,
I just can't change being me.

I can not give you
What you feel is right,
I can not hide my true self,
For society that continues to stare on,
Wondering who's more mad;
Me,
The girl who is 'eccentric',
'undesirable' 'putrid'
or you;
A man who can't control her,
Who can not defend her,
A man who can not claim her.
I can not stop trying to be me,
And it is sad
That I can not achieve the perfection,
You want
And the world wants.

I feel pain,
I feel sadness, sorrow, loneliness
Grief, stress.
I can not 'play' dumb;
I know that the world is round,
I know my history,
The world wars, the Boer Wars,
All the wars you can count.
I know sciences, literature, math,
Whatever you can name.
But why?
Why is it that I am supposed
to play the role
Of being feeble and meek?
To depend on you for everything?

Yes, sadly I can not give you
many things,
But what I can give,
What I can be,
Is your most loyal friend,
Who will shelter you from despair,
I can be your shield
And protect you
From those who wish you harm,
You always have my shoulder
To cry on when the burden
is just too great,
I can help you realize
Popularity, perfection, society?
Its meaningless.
It means nothing,
It means nothing to me.
I love you the way you are,
Just as you love me the way I am.
And no label could describe our love.
I am not your girl
Just as you are not
My man.
We are as equal as our devotion.

I fear I can not give many things,
What I can give,
Are my dreams and emotions,
My heart and its desires,
And my devotion, to you.
---------------------
Iman Ahmed
IMANTHEAWESOME7

Friday, 22th September 2017