Unbound Hair
Girls let their hair fall
wild and free
like the children they are.
We look forward to the day
our mothers teach us to braid
long, unruly hair
into smooth and beautiful plaits.
Hair plaited back, controlled,
indicates to the village
the girls have become women:
controlled and pliant,
ready for marriage.
I wore my braid proudly.
But then a lady,
more regal and powerful
than any woman I have ever known,
wisited and told me I had power too.
Her hair was unbound.
This lady stood tall,
and her loose hair wasn’t wild at all.
She was free to act,
unconcerned with men’s judgment,
confident in her mission
and her ability to carry it out.
When the lady left,
I did too.
She is teaching me
about my power, our power,
and I no longer plait my hair.
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