For Chidinma Adetshina

The sparkle in your eyes that lights up the room

The bright smile that dispels, if only for a moment,

all the gloom and doom that feels entitled to our lives

The glistening of your skin

Unblemished and unbothered by the temptations to shed a layer or two or three

The ease and strength of your gait

See me move, watch me stride

And we stared as you moved

Spellbound as you strode

Every time you walked on that stage, you screamed ‘bring it on’

Whether it was in a breathtaking traditional ensemble outfit

an exquisite swimsuit

 or a stunningly elegant evening gown

You showed the world that Nigeria can get some things right

You do not look like where you have come from

You do not sound like what you have been through

All the deafening noise and wicked drumbeats of a xenophobic few

Disappointing but not surprising

Sad, but not without precedence

It was meant to break, shake and unravel

Yet, we watched, as you sparkled, glistened, glowed and moved

Unbroken, unshaken, in one piece

Oh, how proud we were

Even those of us who have no time for ‘Miss This, Miss That’

This was not just about what a Miss was missing or finding

This was hope, dreams and joy

It was about rising above, finding help in places least expected

And being smart enough to know what to do with a second chance

You are beautiful

Your beauty is there for even the blind to see

Much more important is your wisdom, grace, clarity, thoughtfulness

That is the stuff that inner beauty is made of

And it will stay with you, long after the youthful glow has dimmed

Remember the lesson that was taught and hopefully learned

About solidarity, justice and unity

Those who did not know you from anywhere

Yet rose in defence of a sister and daughter

who needed a home that could not be taken away from her

What a lesson about the beauty we can find when we dare to care

When it was time to decide the winner

The pretty tall lady won the prize

But you won the hearts

It was such a sight to see

Just one person hugging the excited winner

At least two dozen beauties buzzing around the runner-up

Keep smiling, keep shining, keep glowing

You are beautiful

You have the rest of your life to find out the true meaning of this blessing

For every girl who has been told ‘you do not belong’

For every woman who has been told you are ‘ugly’, ‘fat’, ‘too dark’,

‘short’, ‘bow legged’,

For those with ‘no hips’, ‘small backside’, ‘no waist’

‘big tummy’, ‘big nose’, ‘kinky hair’

You can try and fix the outside

How else can the global beauty industry survive

Yes, the lotions, creams, scrubs, exfoliators, make-up and all the like

All the silky wigs in colours of the rainbow

And the clothes that can make Cinderellas out of the worst of us

Yes, it all adds up

But we are beautiful with or without

For all those who have suffered for being poor, uneducated, overeducated

 unemployed, over ambitious

The abused, battered, abandoned, excluded

Just know

You are enough

You are worthy

Just tell yourself, ‘I am beautiful’

It is as simple as that, because it is the truth

You are beautiful

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Leadership Coach, Policy Advocate and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com