Still Her Words Come
By Esther Omolola
I’ve got a lot of opinions, and I want to speak out. Still, I struggle to deal with doubts, to find the right words, to steel myself for the comments from those who disagree.
She is soon to speak
In the center of eyes
And her mind is anything
But empty
She is plagued with the perplexity
Of a particular concept
A feeling so turbulent, so erratic
Filled with anything
But nothingness
She thinks
And comes to a resolution
For every time she holds her tongue
She is the one who pays for it
She searches
A frantic search
For a sense of direction
She anticipates
The stares that will soon burn into her
And despite her desire to delay
The inevitable
Her words still come
Because in her thoughts
And her words
Lies the power
To make others follow
I doubt you’d be calm
If you were in my shoes
An unbridled anxiousness eats me
And in a desperate attempt to silence it
I remind myself that docility is a color
I will never wear
Still, my courage and conviction
Wrestle with passivity and doubt
In the struggle of my own desire
Anoint my tongue
And assemble my words
So I can be perfectly clear
For each of us participates
In the struggle of our own desires
Girls Write Now On the Other Side of Everything: The 2023 Anthology
Do you know what it’s like to communicate with your family across a salty ocean’s divide? Do you want the sun and moon to enter your home with stories written in embers? Do you seek voices that will punctuate the darkness? Welcome to the other side of everything. It’s the other side of silence, the other side of childhood, the other side of hate, the other side of indifference, it’s the other side of sides, where the binary breaks down. It’s a new paradigm, a destination, a different perspective, a mindset, a state of openness, the space between the endless folds in your forehead, hopes for tomorrow, and reflections on the past. This anthology of diverse voices is an everything bagel of literary genres and love songs, secrets whispered in the dark of night, conversations held with ancestors under the sea.
Process
After having some conversations with my mentor, she prosed a prompt for me to think about for my submission. After multiple editing sessions and inspiration from Nikki Giovanni, I was able to draft my poem. After multiple editing sessions and help from a Girls Write Now workshop, I came to my final piece.
Esther Omolola
Esther Omolola is a Nigerian American woman who resides in Queens, New York. She is currently a senior and to plans pursue a career in Public Relations with a specific interest in the entertainment or political industry. She is a huge Kendrick Lamar fan and is inspired by his music. Her favorite food is Jollof rice and she also watches anime and reads manga, manhua and manhwa! Her favorite animes are Gurren Lagaan, Vinland Saga, Gangsta., Beserk and Promare.
