I prepared my speech
Walking down the village
Jumping up and down the hills
Singing like a little freed bird
Helping old women carry their loads off
their shoulders
I scribbled it down
Waking up early every Monday
Have school work done by every Friday
Cleaning the church every Saturday
Singing in the choir every Sunday
My speech was coloured
With my morning long walks to school
Filled with doubt and wonder
When it rained and when it thundered
It was sealed by my commitment to read
at the candlelight
I put every word together
When the moon came out and I sat there
quietly
Counting the stars like I am one of them
And down the river each cold morning
When I soaked my body in the ice cold
running water
I had it all figured out
As I climbed the steep hills to our
little house
Singing while balancing my can of water
for the day
When the sun came out to warm my skin
And the Kilimanjaro in its glory
Was left bare for me to see
My Speech was corrected
Every time my aunt scolded me for my
work
Every minute I had to write an essay of
apologies
Every time I fell down going up the
hills
Every single minute I was told you can’t
have it
Every moment grandma kind eyes said she
can’t do much
I had it all pieced together
When mama said I was the brightest
When grandma assured I was the kindest
When dad affirmed I was the strongest
When my siblings looked at me with their
hopes at best
When friends called me the fiercest
When I finally knew my place
I rewrote it
When I realised there are no deadlines
To what I had in mind
When I knew I was the one
To write my ending
When I came to realise
I dint have to be like everyone
When I came to terms
With the journey I will walk alone
I am my speech
It’s written all over me
The cheers of my friends on my smile
The scorns of my enemies at my back
The scars of the falls on my ankles
The sparkle of my victories in my eyes
The depth of my love and passions
Deeply felt by the people I have touched
The happiness in my baby’s laughter
The peace in me when I go to sleep
It’s all me and so much more
Ready to walk on
What a journey to behold
To find the left pieces
To fit them in the empty places
And complete my speech of a lifetime
It is not an acceptance speech
For the award I am to win
Or the appreciation I will be accorded
I know if I don’t win a thing
I will definitely be the best version of
me
