New Year, Braver Me

Each December we hear and repeat: “New Year, New Me”
As if the old us is a ghost, that can no longer be
We seek condolences in this “new year resolutions” symphony
Forgetting how far we’ve come, abandoning ourselves with no sympathy

We forget that our souls are so divine
Souls that went through storms and crossed the lines
All year long, we bloom and we rise
Then they tell us to start fresh, as if who we were, is a lie

Dear future me, I am here to let you know
I was more than just a doll in a puppet show
I took grief and pain with smiles in a row
And I am willing to take down my demons with a single blow

Dear me, it is not YOU who needs to be different
It is your self discipline and your commitment
You have got to see clearer, and fight for your vision
Give more respect to your dreams, don’t go to sleep in division

Unfold those memories of the wasted times as you call it
Let go of the pain, don’t stay there hurt and shattered
Hold on to your self, you’ve come too far to be abandoned
Be at peace with your past, the good and the bad, even with those who took advantage

Turn the almost’s and the could’ve been’s of this year
Into a regret-free plan, as you walk into the new year
Your feelings demand to be shown along with your hidden tears
Never see it as weakness, it’s what makes us who we crave to be

This is my message to all you fighters
Who grind every day, to make their future brighter
Keep your head up, and embrace your flaws even tighter
Congratulations, you deserve an award of a survivor.

Djoumana performing this poem at a recent event

Written by Djoumana Boughazi, 2017-18 Global UGRAD student from Algeria at Grand Valley State University