No Ordinary Woman

Guest Post by Ayo Sekai

One look at the way her hair cascades over her petite shoulders
And you would think it was easy
One glance at her creamy smoothes caramel skin
One sound of her resounding laugh
And you are held captive
Waiting for her to release you
Or just allow you to breathe again

Just look at her!
Look at the way she holds her head high with pride
Look at the way her eyes gleam like the ocean on a warm sunny day
Check out that smile
Even with a cry in her heart
Her beauty still radiates

Just a woman you may say
Yes!
Just a woman
She wakes every morning with worries and concerns just like you and I do
She checks her hair and makeup for flaws
And tries to find just the right thing to wear
But this is no ordinary woman
This woman is a survivor
A testament of truth and beauty
She is a vision of strength
As only God and her determination to survive remains her refuge
Over and over and over again
She has found herself with her back against the wall
And still, she walks with her head held high
Shoulders back
And hair cascading across her skin
No! She is not an ordinary woman
Bearing more than one, two or even three children
And still, she sports the body fit for a God

She has risen above hate
Stand high above pain and deception
And looks back in amazement
Wondering what’s still to come

She has been faced with more loss than most of us can bear
And still, she strives
Her accomplishments are just a drop in the bucket
To what she will attain
And she will continue to rise
Look at the way humility have hovered over her
No eager pride ready to stomp out any one’s ego
She may seem to be just like you and I
But if you look closer
You will see
She’s No Ordinary Woman

January 23, 2003

Ayo Sekai is the Chief Executive Officer at Universal Write Publications, LLC and a current Doctoral (Ph.D.) student at Howard University (Black Politics and International Affairs). Universal Write Publications (UWP) has a publishing purpose to produce social, anthological, and ethnographical scholarship that dignifies the rich histories of the culturally diverse peoples who make up our society. We want to strengthen the voices of the diaspora through pioneering works that blend the creativity through which Griots tell stories with the necessity of peer-reviewed publications. Be it pieces on cultural heritage, education, the environment, visual arts, or innovators, our books are well researched and richly illustrated, appealing to general readers as well as academic researchers.