I held onto the bike handles tightly

"I can't do it Dad"

My voice quaked with fear

"I won't

ever let you go"

He smiles

At age 10, I believed him

with all the love my little heart could muster

 

At age 13,

He let's go of me.

 

I don't understand it for a moment

Mom cries

Sister cries

Why do these tears fall from my eyes?

Where is Dad?

 

Those tears that rolled down my cheeks

Changed

Turned into

sparks of fire

A fire

Burned deep in me

I kept on feeding the flames

 

At age 14,

Life pushed me down hard

People blamed my mother

She was why he left us

Why?

Why did the blame come on her?

She was an obedient wife

But when he states

"My daughters don't need education."

My mother finally puts her foot down

 

The blame finally came on me

I was not good enough

He left because his oldest child

Me

Was not a son

Were you afraid 

Oh Father?

Were you afraid of my power?

The power

To give life to someone else

 

The fire

Took over me

I let it consume my whole being

The fire

Was my hope

Was my determination

The hope to succeed in life

I am thanful to that fire

For showing me my true courage

To show 

The whole world

That I am enough

 

 

No one in this cruel world can tell me otherwise...