I Will Rise – Hani Abdile

From the poet/author Hani Abdile

People often ask me why do I write? What they don’t know is that I wasn’t a writer or a poet until moments of suffering made me a writer.

I was sitting in a place where there was only a fence and hapless humans. My pen and paper were bright flashes that lit up my steps. I had no hope other than writing poetry and turning what I wrote into reality.

When everything else in your life is dictated by others, writing become enjoyable. It is not forced. It is a weapon against stress and despair.

For me it was a way of healing and relief. At first it was just a personal thing that I didn’t want to share with anyone because i was afraid of people discovering my weakness. One day when my eyes were bleeding tears and pain was knocking me away, everything I was feeling came out on the table. I posted a poem on Facebook called Freedom for Education and a remarkable human being sent me a message saying ‘are you a poet?’ I didn’t understand the meaning of the word poet so I googled it. I answered no but Janet didn’t give up on me. We started working together. I kept writing.

I joined Writing Through Fences. It was amazing how welcome I felt thereWe all come from different races and religions. I started to rise and build my talent. I was no longer afraid of my weakness because in Writing Through Fences we had something in common. Everyone was going through hardships of life in different ways and writing the pain was our secret doctor. Now these people are not only fellow members but family and everlasting friends.

I Will Rise shows my development as a writer. It means a lot to me and the people who are by my side through this journey.

You may also be interested in Hani Abdile’s contributions to the anthology Writing Through Fences – Archipelago of Letters.