One fine day I shall walk with my head held high
My back ever so straight
My strides long and purposeful
One fine day
As I take my walk
My hips will swing from left to right
With absolutely no thought of cellulite
My breasts will have a dose of sanity
And disobey the laws of gravity
I will carry a large bag
Full of everything I need
For work, for play and for looking good
Everything, that is,
Except money
But who cares?
For on this fine day
I will not be alone
I will be walking with those who do not care
About being a size four, fourteen or forty
About being eighteen, eighty or eight-nine,
With those who are not bothered
About the difference between Somalia and Somaliland
Nor the distance between Cape Verde and Cape Town
Yet they know about dreams and visions
They know about hopes and aspirations
They know that if you work hard enough
Thing big enough
Dream large enough
And live long enough
Dreams do come true
And visions do come to life
And that we don’t have to die
Before we go to heaven
On this fine day I will walk,
Hips swinging
Bag full of this and that
My body responding to the warm caress of the sun
And even if it is cold
The joy I will feel inside will keep me warm
I will walk free of all the symbols and signifiers that tell me
I am less than who I am
Those I am walking with will know how I feel
We are walking a road we have all paved together
And it is finally taking us to the places we want to go
together
Oh, how I will enjoy my walk
On this fine day
With all my sisters.
And the brothers who would like to join us
©Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi September 2000