22 Quotes by Ijeoma Umebinyuo

Nobody warned you that the women whose feet you cut from running would give birth to daughters with wings.

I am too full of lifeto be half-loved.

You apologize forhow you carry your mother's lonelinessquietlybetween your teeth.You apologize for how you carry your father's sinsinside your blood.You forgothow to carry yourselfaway for the historiesthat threatens to break youopen, leaving you with griefand unbearable weight of emptiness.Tell me, apart from the sadnessthick as smogliving inside your chesttell me the last timeyou held your faceand saw lovestaring back at you.How does destroying yourself prove your worth to others?

1. You must let the pain visit.2. You must allow it teach you3. You must not allow it overstay.(Three routes to healing)

Healing comes in wavesand maybe todaythe wave hits the rocksand that's ok,that's ok, darlingyou are still healingyou are still healing.

The problem wasyou kept waiting for anotherto call you powerful.You naively believed men like himwere capable of lovingwomen who makecrowns for thorns.The problem wasYou loved him so shamelessly,even his lies became holy.

I curated our love into poemsand all the pains became lessall the anger left, eventuallybut, there is no denyinghere on the tip of my soulwith scars still healing,that once I loved a man.

IRONYThey invite youto come viewartifactsstolenfrom your ancestorsin their museumsas their"experts"explainyour ancientBeninkingdom

You teach your daughtershow to rub poison on their skinrememberto teach your sonshow not to be serpents.