LYRICAL: "THE STRANGER I BECAME" BY ABDULMALIK YAHYA (THE PUNSMITH)

I spent years building a fortress,

only to find 

a stranger living in it.

I chased a destination,

and lost a home

along the way.

My reflection wore a borrowed smile,

but its eyes 

carried a storm.

I fed my fears with silences,

and they grew 

larger than my horizon.

Everyone knew my name,

but nobody 

knew my fracture.

I was busy 

becoming a symbol,

while forgetting 

how to be a human.

Then one day,

a whisper asked me:

"Who were you

before the world 

told you what to be?"

And suddenly,

every answer I had

became a mirage,

and every question

became a key.

 © Abdulmalik Yahya (The Punsmith)

- Nigeria.

 06-06-2026

The Stranger I Became By Abdulmalik Yahya is a reflective poem about losing one's true identity while trying to meet society's expectations. The speaker realises that, despite outward success and recognition, they have become disconnected from their authentic self.

Through vivid metaphors and introspection, the poem explores themes of self-alienation, inner conflict, and the search for identity. It ultimately suggests that self-discovery begins by questioning who we were before the world shaped us.