writer – PIECESBYRUTH

I am

This is me Because I am I was the one exiled from the classroom My knees pressed to the concrete My head bowed Ashamed that I am Because I am I was the one handed shame disguised as discipline Handed fear Told it was help Shrank me into pain Carved insults into my growing mindContinue reading “I am”

Alignment

I thought finding alignment especially in work It had to be difficult A prize buried in thorn and stone It had to come with struggle It had to come with endless looking So I tried Every desperate reach to feel at home I tried I’ve tried it all But nothing fits Maybe this is justContinue reading “Alignment”

I Got Tired

I don’t know why we keep placing our faith in human beings. Human beings are not good people. I don’t know when we’ll learn. Look around. Look at Benue State (Nigeria). Look at your own country. Look at history. Look at the world. From the beginning, we’ve proven, again and again, that cruelty comes moreContinue reading “I Got Tired”

Only artists allowed in my house

Yes Writers Dancers Producers Storytellers Truth tellers I want them all When I become a parent? Best believe I am raising a tribe of loud, expressive, artistic little humans Only artists allowed in my house We are not prepping for board meetings We are not dreaming rockets to Mars We are writing monologues We are throwingContinue reading “Only artists allowed in my house”

Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand God My connection to You has not always been loud It has not always been clear Most times it’s quiet But somewhere in my heart You remain certain You have always been there I don’t know what it was Or what exactly changed But something stirred in me this weekend Something thatContinue reading “Hand in Hand”

He took that from me

I still remember the phone notes The simple poems you used to write It feels like such a long time ago I don’t remember the exact words Just… the feeling Back then, I thought they were silly I felt awkward reading them while you stood there watching But now I realize… it wasn’t the poemsContinue reading “He took that from me”

There is a stillness I feel only when I am lost in a story

There is a scene in Episode 3 of The Wife on Showmax that I do not think I will ever get over. At first, I did not understand why, but now I think I do. It speaks to a version of me I have not yet allowed myself to explore, a version I am tooContinue reading “There is a stillness I feel only when I am lost in a story”

What a gift to have died so early, I thought.

The child’s body lay on the bed. I reached out to touch her, I had never been this close to someone who had just died. Naturally I was scared, but curious. Her hands still warm, felt as though there was still life left in them. And for a moment, I wondered if her mind wasContinue reading “What a gift to have died so early, I thought.”

Cham miel ka pod ingima tho luro

“Eii yawa, Tho! Aol. Odhis ni bro tieka chieng’ moro,” my mother yelled, as we exchanged worried glances. We found ourselves huddled in the hospital on a Friday morning, anxiously waiting for my father to wake up. As a child, I used to look at my father during parties and marvel at how he couldContinue reading “Cham miel ka pod ingima tho luro”

Others may not see it right now, but they will soon understand

In a community surrounded by hills and lakes, lived a young girl named Awiti. Awiti was a tribute to the tears and prayers her parents had to endure before they had her. She was born after the loss of many. Awiti loved to dance and every step made by her feet on the ground matchedContinue reading “Others may not see it right now, but they will soon understand”