The sixth grade was the first time I truly studied poetry. My English teacher gave us a poetry assignment where we had to pick a poem, memorize it, and act it out in front of the class. Somehow, I stumbled across Maya Angelou's Still I Rise. Reading through this poem as a sixth grader, I was very astonished. It had so much meaning that my sixth grade self couldn't even fully begin to understand but still, it was such a beautiful poem. I knew I wanted to learn this poem and have it become a part of me. I knew that whatever Maya Angelou was saying had to do with me and my identity.
Years later, I took a creative writing class and my teacher asked us to pick a poem that we loved and change it to incorporate ourselves. Because I loved Maya Angelou's Still I RIse, I wrote this:
Still I’m Here
You may shut me out of your life
With your monstrous, mean lies
You may say rude things to me
But still, like air, I’m here
Does my friendliness confuse you?
Why are you in such a mood?
‘Cause I walk around laughing
Like I got gold in my shoes
Just like water and like fire
With a certainty of smoke
Just like dreams becoming reality
Still I’m here
Do you want to see me gone?
No trace and no sight?
A disappearance like ghosts
Weakened by light?
Does my happiness torture you?
Don’t you get sad and cry
‘Cause I talk like I’ve got money
And I believe I can fly?
You may shoot me with your looks
You may cut me with your stares
You may kill me with your bitterness
But still, I swear, I’m here
Does my faithfulness shock you?
Does it come as disbelief?
That I party like I’ve got lovers
And not a tiny bit of grief?
Out of the lies and dangerous halls
I’m here
Up from the rumors and falls
I’m here
I am running water, cold and excited
Fighting and biting, I simply walk away
Leaving behind days of abuse and ignorance
I’m here
Into a world full of spears
I’m here
Keeping behind my past and memories
I am done with it all
I’m here
I’m here
I’m here
From Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
I look up to Maya Angelou because she is one of the strongest black women I have ever met. From the beginning, she had to fight. In some ways, she taught me how to fight. She went through trials and tribulations and she still knew how to rise. I read her poems and I am reminded of obstacles and then victories. I learned that we have to go through rain to get to the rainbow. Maya Angelou showed that. Her wisdom and strength will always be remembered. Thank you, Dr. Angelou, for being an inspiration to both me and all of us.
