I learned that pain turns into shame and shame turns into secrets,
So I found my purpose to turn my pain into poetry
By feeling all of my feelings because on the other side of them is freedom, hope, and healing.
The freedom to express vulnerability with every breath I take
because the grace of God reminds me that I’m priceless and the apple of God’s eye.

This kinky, curly-headed brown skin
Adorned in the richness of my Nigerian roots unfurls the saying, “Naija no dey carry last.”
With every strand of my hair has a story to be told
lies in my DNA with wisdom, to carry light in the midst of darkness.
So you see, I’m freer than I’ve ever been to paint not some but all the colors of me
like blue that whispers peace, like the calm waters and the skies.
Red to represent my love, passion, and fearless spirit that shines so bright.
Purple to remind me that I’m kin to His royal blood that runs through my veins,
And gold to represent the beautifully broken pottery that was nursed back to life,
looking more exquisite than ever before.

I heard that without revelation, there is no transformation,
Like the transformation that has eyes glued to the mirror, looking past me, at the past me.
Since I discovered that the best art comes by embracing the pain,
So it’s why I write these poems to prove that my trauma didn’t bury me; it planted me to thrive,
Like a tree planted by the rivers of living water, which captures not some but all of the beauty of my brokenness.
Since I learned that pain, just like secrets, can only control you if you hold them within.

People may see the contract
But not the contractions of wearing my heart on my sleeve
That now fits like a glove.
I’m striving to heal generations through self-love.
I’m choosing faith over fear and hope over hurt
For my heart to swell with laughter, love, and joy.
No longer afraid of the spaces, holes, and voids.

My positive vibes increase the vibration of others around me,
Beating to the sound of my own drum.
Each new day I live is a new beginning I’m open to experiencing
Turning my deepest secrets into my greatest superpowers,
Empowers me to release what no longer serves me
So I can serve myself flowers while I can still smell them.

Before I die,
I pray that my story will be someone else’s survival guide.
A Hummingbird beauty.
Someone’s call of duty to find love to heal again
And a love letter to that person that’s been laying in bed
And hasn’t seen beyond the four corners of their room in days
I pray that they will finally experience what solace looks and feels like.
I once heard that love is what healing sounds like.

I would cry out to God from the pit of my soul.
As I wrestled with anxiety and depression,
The unending churning deep within my stomach,
I did not think that season would ever end.
I did not have a desire to eat or be present.
All I wanted to do was hide in a place that was small enough to fit just me.
It was then I wished I knew what it looked like to be free.

Days felt like months and months, years.
I kept praying, “Lord, please help me!”
And in those moments God lifted my load
And lo and behold a new chapter of my story unfolded.
God’s light shined through the shadows of doubt and fear
Unleashing the true essence of my divine design, it was crystal clear.

I went through the fire to turn my trauma into gold.
What was once scary is now beautiful.
No longer letting the intensity of today’s pain take away the joy of tomorrow’s glory
Because the seed of my pain was exchanged for my victory.

I am the personification of strength and resiliency.
A woman with a pen and purpose
Connected to this God-given system that flows with greatness.
Poetry became like breathing to me
And to others a shoulder to lean on,
Leaning towards solace
I can finally say I know what solace looks and tastes like.

I found love within God’s love letters
And found peace within the broken pieces of me I once thought were no longer valuable.
Forever grateful that Christ paid the full price for something that was broken.
What was once bloody is now beautiful
Beautifully put, when God exchanged my heart for His
And gave me a new spirit to reject the handful hand-me-downs of generational trauma.

I am aligned with energies that heal my past and grow my future.
I release past versions of me that no longer reflect who I am.
My flesh is rewriting the story about my new inheritance, a garden of generational blessings.
Planting the most powerful word seeds for glowing vibes of a fruitful harvest.
Sun-kissed in rich soil of healing and revelation, a prophetic word.
I stand with mountain-moving faith, believing that it is well with my soul!