The Faces of Me – A Poem of Feminine Triumph

As I look into the mirror of my mind
I see the many faces of me.
The me that I was.
The me that I am.
And the me that I long to be.
I see this brilliant, beautiful, brown-skinned girl,
In the middle of her life,
A mother, a lover, a wife.
Married in my mid-twenties
And twenty years later,
I see a woman who has blossomed so wonderfully.
I giggle when I think that many men still want to date her!
Grown from being a twig of a woman,
To becoming a buttress of strength.
A woman who understands the pains of being in the deepest valley,
To the joys of standing on the highest hill,
With incredibly strong hands, strong mind and strong will.
A woman who knows that she CAN!

The main motivation behind my writing the poem and theme of the poem is my “coming of age” as a woman. It is a poem of self-acknowledgement of some of the various stages of development, the changes and challenges that I have experienced (as a woman), in my life’s journey to self – the emotional, the physical, the spiritual. In addition, it signals the peace in resolve for example, that only time and varied life experiences can bring. Finally, it culminates as a celebration of feminine triumph in adversity.

Ria Joseph-Lopez lives in Trinidad and Tobago and works with Moms In Business International and Hopefull Handbags Trinidad and Tobago.