I Am My Hair
Poem (2023) — Seun Adeyemi
I am not my hair
I am a girl
A lady of the beginning
Born into this round world of nature
Spiraling the waves of life and times
My head is part of my body
Hair, a territory of my glory and destiny
It bears a crown of curls on it
The curtains unfold
I can feel the breeze through my strands
I can feel the heat from the sun during the day
I can feel calmness from the moon at night
Stranded, held tight, and tangled
You are inside and outside
I adore you; my hair, always present in my life
You show me how I appear. I adore you, Circlet tiara
Blessed Golden Wreath, you cover my terra firma
The apex of my plane
Because of your great goodness to me
From the very depths of my heart, I adore you
I am my hair
I am a woman
A lady of adoration
Growing in this broader world
Celestial and helm of fruitfulness
Long, tied, plaited, permed, or braided
Twisted or loc
Short, cut, or barbed
I remain knitted to this reality
Stitched to the lace of time
Engulfed in flowy chiffon
Tied with a tight scarf
I want you to feel free
Be unpatched and uncovered
Blessed Diadem, you cover my scalp
The zenith of my form
Because of your great love for me
From the very depths of my heart, I adore you
Hair, I pray for growth in your strands
You are underneath and on top of my head
I ask you to lengthen yourself and protect me from all harm
I ask you to see and feel the world
For all eyes to see you.
I Am My Hair, Poem — Seun Adeyemi (2023)
