A Poem in Tribute to the Mothers On Whose Shoulders We Stand

11 May 2014

As I was sitting in my backyard one day, upset because I had locked myself out of the house, and frustrated because I had been hit with several challenging situations in one day, a voice said to me: “You are not allowed to let the little things keep you from pursuing your purpose. You stand on the shoulders of giants.” In that stillness, this poem came to me. I hope it encourages you as it did me.

I Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants

I stand on the shoulders of giants.
My Mother
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
My Grandmothers
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Miriam Makeba
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Bessie Coleman
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Althea Gibson
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Mary McLeod Bethune
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Wangari Maathai
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Maggie Lena Walker
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Nzinga Mbande
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Wilma Rudolph
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Fannie Lou Hamer
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Marian Anderson
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Shirley Chisolm
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Elma Francois
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Dorothy Height
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Soujourner Truth
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Maya Angelou
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Harriet Jacobs
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Mamie Till
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Lena Horne
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Coretta Scott King

Because of them, I have no right to give up.
Because of them, I have no right to give in.
Because of them, I know anything is possible.
Because of them, I can.

©2014 Julian B. Kiganda

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers who have allowed us to stand on their shoulders in order to reach for the stars that hold our dreams.

How has your mother, or any other woman in your life, made an impact on you?

Photo: A picture of myself and the most important ladies in my life: my mother, my sisters and my daughters. Can you tell which one is my mother?

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