Easter Bouquet 2025: I Know, Yet I Rise, by William Orbih

William Orbih is from Nigeria. He has academic degrees in philosophy, religious studies, and peace studies. He volunteers in a book club organized for victims of physical and sex abuse in Africa.

I Know, Yet I Rise

I know the weight of my tombstones,

the stones I must smash in order to rise!

I know the horrors of darkness,

the evil that waits to pounce.

I know how tiring rising can be

when mornings are covered in gloom,

I know how stressful, and sometimes, how impossible!

I know, yet I choose to rise!

I know how destructive prying eyes can be,

When cynicism is the left and stereotype the right.

I know how exhausting it can be

to swim against unfavourable tides,

or even to walk on shaky ground,

when one feels the piercing of nails!

I know, yet I choose to rise!

I know not all men are to be believed

And not all women can be trusted.

I know the world is a court without truth,

In it, there is no hope for the honest and the saints!

I know to be pessimistic is to be wise

and to complain is to be renowned.

I know too much to hope for anything better.

I know, yet I choose to rise.