- By Aisha Mukhtar
THE STRONGEST OF THE WEAK
By Aisha Mukhtar
A poem that gives a tribute to those who are the strongest of the weak… to encourage women’s empowerment on March 8, World Women’s Day.
Oh, look at her—fragile, delicate, small.
Her hands too soft, her voice too faint to call.
A heart that feels too much, a mind they claim is lost,
A soul too distracted to ever bear the cost.
She can’t walk alone. She can’t stand tall.
She can’t lead, they say – always needing a hand to hold.
So how can she live? How can she survive?
How can she fight in this ruthless race of life?
In a world so cruel, where the weak are denied,
She must depend on a man’s support to survive.
He will be her shield, her guard, her fort,
The pillar she leans on—her last resort.
He can provide for her and ease her strife,
Fulfilling her needs as the core of her life.
Without him, she may live, but she does not exist,
Just a shadow, unseen, lost in the mist.
Alright, accepted.
I am weak. I am frail.
My heart is soft, my strength is pale.
I can’t lift the heavy nor break the strong.
In a world of power, I don’t belong.
But wait—what?
Isn’t it me who brings life into this world?
Isn’t it me who bleeds, yet stands, every month unfurled?
You say I can’t lift weights, yet I carried life for 280 days.
You call me weak, yet I bear the pain in countless ways.
If you still think that I am weak, you failed to see,
It was never my strength – but the world’s belief.
If I can be a mother, I can be a Joan of Arc.
If I can cook, I can be a Julia Child in the dark.
If I can stitch, I can be a Coco Chanel, leaving my mark.
If I can teach, I can be a Malala, fearless and stark.
It was never about what I could do,
But what I was allowed to pursue.
I’ll break free, I’ll rise,
And you’ll see a force beyond your eyes.
