The Day You Became Strong
They always say
“It didn’t happen overnight”
And certainly, this is true
But it was one day
A day when the pieces came together
A day when you knew it
You were whole
And worthy
And had value
All on your own
The words came
Calm and clear
You said, “No”
You called out the voice
That silenced you
You pushed away the hand
That made demands
For too long you accepted
The backseat
You gave the benefit of doubt
When whatever benefit there was
Was certainly not yours
You were busy, trying to make pieces fit
Believing you could be gracious
And still kind
But just not knowing how
To challenge insult
To deny admittance
To choose to believe
That your dignity
Mattered as much as theirs
And that day came
When being polite wasn’t as important
As loving the little girl that was
And the woman she became
Telling her that she could speak up
And she did
That was the day
The day you became strong
