Out of the fire came the Phoenix,

An unholy alliance bore me,

A clandestine being, phenomenon

Hidden in swaddling clothes

Out of the womb, straight into society’s court.

Non-endearing, un-understanding,

With intent to label, taint and outcast!

I was born a wretched soul?

To a lone soul, free of societal bonds, deemed rogue

Innocent babe, wailed at the birth as if foretelling the misery to come.

I was born a wretched soul? Or society named me?

Conceived the same way as them 

Born the same way as them,

Just to a woman who defied their expectations

I was born a wretched soul?

Poem Description

This poem is a powerful reflection on identity, stigma, and society’s harsh judgment. Using the imagery of the Phoenix a creature reborn out of fire, the speaker presents their birth as extraordinary, almost mystical, yet immediately overshadowed by rejection. Instead of being celebrated, their arrival into the world is met with labels, suspicion, and exclusion. The repetition of the haunting question “I was born a wretched soul?” captures the tension between innocence and condemnation. The speaker challenges whether they were truly cursed at birth or if society’s prejudice is what made them “wretched.” The irony is highlighted: they were conceived and born in the same natural way as everyone else, yet they are ostracized simply because their mother defied expectations. This poem raises questions about social hypocrisy and the cruelty of labelling individuals based on circumstances beyond their control. It emphasizes how stigma can strip away dignity and impose an identity of shame, even on an innocent child. At the same time, the Phoenix metaphor suggests resilience, the possibility of rising above society’s judgment, no matter how consuming the fire of rejection may be. Ultimately, the poem is both mournful and defiant. It calls readers to question whether “wretchedness” is ever inherent, or whether it is society’s act of naming and shaming that creates outcasts.