le jour de la femme

In celebration of what today stands for, here is a collection of poetry and quotes by women, for women :

“Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size, but when I start to tell them, they think I’m telling lies. I say, it’s the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips. I’m a woman phenomenally. Phenomenally woman. That’s me. ” – Maya Angelou

“When the world unravels around you

When even your dreams are crumbling stones

When everything you touch is set on fire and all around you is ash and smoke,

Remember this

Rock-bottom is a perfect place for rebuilding

Remember that you are you Mother’s Daughter, Your Grandmother’s unanswered prayer.

A whole bloodline of women who bend in response to raging winds, there’s nothing broken here.

Nothing damages or discarded.

Each scar is an act of defiance against the sun,

Each step is a victory dance waiting to happen and you are – a woman becoming.

Learning the complicated language of forgiveness

The intricate lessons of the universe, and your heart is just a muscle waiting for exercise,

And you were born for this sort of heavy lifting.

You were born; one part warrior, one part saint,

And loving yourself without shame is the most important thing you have to fight for… ” – Titilope Sonuga

“Yet, if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shies, how will she ever know how far she could walk, or how fast she could run?” – Germaine Greer

“I have not ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. I have accepted fear as a part of my life. Specifically, the fear of change and the fear of the , and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says, #turn back#. – Erica Jong

“Above all, be the heroine of your own life” – Nora Ephron

I haven’t walked long on this earth, and I know I’ve barely begun to live. My life behind me holds up mistakes I’ve had to learn from, accomplishments I still celebrate, the tentative dreams I’m walking towards. My feet now, are still learning what to run away from and the ground that’s fertile for growth. My arms reach out to hug the friends that pass by, the family I’m surrounded by; my hands trying to press joy into my chest. My heart is hungry for the person I could be, thirsting after the One who can bring it to pass. I know I’ve barely begun to live. – the nigerian millennial