This Is Me… and I Am Free to Be Who I Am
Written by: Haya Al-Aqeel
This Is Me...
If you like me, stay.
If you don’t, I will gladly open the door wide for you to leave.
This is me...
I wrestle with myself every day — sometimes I defeat it, and sometimes it defeats me.
And I no longer know for sure which of us is right.
This is me...
Shiny, meaningless relationships no longer attract me.
I now carry scissors to cut off every tie that weighs me down and drains me, instead of lifting me higher and pushing me forward — except, of course, for the ties of kinship.
This is me...
I have changed a lot, I am still changing, and I will continue to change.
I refuse to live a life full of illusions — like a herd of sheep that simply follows.
This is me...
You may love me, or you may hate me — that’s your choice.
My door is open for those who wish to enter, but only once.
I no longer have time for second chances, those foolish ones that may only come to you in dreams.
This is me...
I believe in this saying:
“Don’t ask for your rights shyly, so they won’t give them to you as a favor.”
I demand my rights firmly, caring little for criticism or blame.
This is me...
With my appearance, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and ambitions —
I will not change colors to please anyone.
My Creator’s satisfaction is my ultimate goal; everything else I offer out of courtesy, generosity, and respect.
This is me...
I buy my peace of mind and avoid what disturbs it —
for it is a blessing and a gift from my Lord.
This is me...
My time is not for sale, nor to be wasted on relationships that play with it —
those hours of my life that pass, never to return,
just to engage in meaningless talk.
This is me...
My effort is not offered to those who don’t deserve it,
for I value peace and mental tranquility above all.
This is me...
Sometimes I recognize myself,
and sometimes I’m surprised by who I am.
Yet I try my best to live with courage, responsibility, and commitment.
This is me...
If you see me with one eye,
I’ll see you with two —
but if you turn away, I will too.
And after that, you are no longer in my world,
for I have no room for the ungrateful.
Yes... yes —
This is me.
Life is too short not to live with our true faces —
not with ever-changing masks that deny our essence
and rob us of peace with ourselves.
Peace.