Written piece
I Turned My Pain Into a Dream
LÃdia Sitole
Mozambique
About this piece
A poem about a young African woman who transforms pain and inherited struggles into hope, strength, and dreams. Inspired by Mozambique, ancestry, and resilience, it reflects identity, memory, and the power of carrying one’s roots with pride.
I come from women
who carried oceans of pain
inside silent hearts
and still woke up
to sing for their children.
I come from red earth,
from ocean winds,
from stories wrapped carefully
inside capulanas
and passed from mother to daughter
like sacred fire.
I learned early
that sorrow has a voice.
It lives in goodbye,
in empty pockets,
in tears hidden before sunrise,
in dreams that feel too heavy
for young shoulders.
But I also learned
that African girls
are born with resilience
woven into their souls.
So I gathered my pain
piece by piece
and planted it
inside my dreams.
And slowly,
it became strength.
Now I carry Mozambique
inside my heartbeat,
inside my language,
inside every step forward.
My wounds did not break me.
They became poetry.
They became hope.
They became wings.