Dear Daughter of Wales,
Here is a message to say hello.
How did you sleep? Have you taken a breath today?
Here is a message to remind you
that you are doing your best,
that it’s ok to worry,
ok to question,
ok to post anonymously,
and ok to ask for help.
Daughter of Wales,
here is a message to praise you,
You, who carries every stress, every scar,
and wake up each morning with your arms open to the world.
Your hands are the ones who dry tears,
you are the one who applauds,
extends a hand, pulls back from the edge;
your arms are a shelter in the storm,
your heart is the beat that keeps the world turning.
Farm girl, Valley girl, City girl,
Choir girl, the classroom, the laboratory, the team,
Daughter of Wales, you are the intricate dance of the centuries,
the hard work of generations of mothers
stepping into the future.
Your harmony echoes in a hymn,
telling the story of your sisters –
a story of laughter, tears, support and strength.
So Daughters of Wales,
here is a message from me.
A message to say hello,
keep going,
and to raise your voices
to join the song.
– Nia Morais, Bardd Plant Cymru 2023-2025
This poem was commissioned by S4C to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2025.