Society has a way of chewing you up / And spitting you out whole / Chunks of yourself unrecognizable / Until you can’t put the pieces together /
A source of constant criticism / A competitor in a race I didn’t sign up for / A boxer without gloves in a ring I didn’t want to know / A god in a temple that hates me /
To the angry guards / Staring down at me from doors I can’t reach / When will it all be enough? / When will my body be enough? / When will my skin be enough? / My pronouns enough / My boundaries enough / My identity enough / My humanity enough / My personhood enough / My self enough /
Self / Selflessly sharing in the selfishness / I have given you my all / Wrapped in soothing words / Laced in honey and lavender / Dressed to a perfection I’ve yet to achieve / I’ve given it all for you to stare at me / Point with every cell in your body / And say that I don’t belong
When will I be enough / My weary soul lain battered in the street / Cars swerve by / Pedestrians scurry on / You look forward / Don’t even turn your head to me / Don’t even want my name / Don’t even want to know me / See me / Hear me / I am drowning into this abyss / And no one is hearing me / So when will that be enough?
When will you have enough? / When will you consume enough? / When will you take too much? / When will you be the best for me and you? / When will I stop undoing my own trauma to save you? / When will you grant me the privilege of existing, beautifully / Without apology / Without delay / Without pause / Without a second of second thoughts / When? /
When will I be enough? / Whole / Holy / Wholly / Me / Solely / For me / Caged once / Too many times / Now free / To be who I am, all on my own. //
Najya Williams 