Cries of an African girl child

Tanyaradzwa Karen Guwakuwa

Being an African girl child makes me bold
As l stroll down the streets, I am not seized with fear.

This is so because my rights act as my shield and a stumbling block to my enemies,
My rights assure and tell me that,
I will be there with you every moment,

I will be there to hide your pain,
All this constantly rings in my ears like a lullaby.

 

However, some of my rights have failed to shield me,
This has shattered me from within,

 

I am so broken that I can’t even breathe properly sometimes,
My heart is so empty,

How then can an empty thing carry this much weight?
I really wonder,

 

As an African girl child,

You know the pain,

Only you know what you have lost in time,

Only you know what you have lost in your life,

The pain can be felt from within,

When things are shattered and apart,

You can’t do anything to stop the pain
You just let go and cry in vain,

You will feel much better that way.

 

But do not despair as this is just a phase,

Do not feel sad as life is like a maze,

You lose something and have to move on and grow stronger.

 

This test may be perplexing for you,

But you have to pass through it nevertheless,

So keep your hope alive.

When God gives you pain,

When you cry in pain,

Something good is on its way,

Something is going to happen soon,

You just have to keep the faith!

 

As an African girl child,

Stand firm and do not give up,

Our rights will act as our shields again very soon,

I can feel this within the inner core of my heart,

This shall come to pass,

As African girls, we shall conquer all our fears, our struggles and come out of this stronger.

 

Tanyaradzwa Karen Guwakuwa is a Lower Six student at Mutare Girls High School