Shut up and listen
She keeps wasting strength, rattling her cage.
Begging to be freed, immured for her age,
first sign of nubile growth- they all want a ‘piece’,
gorging on her oppressed spirit; calling it a tease.
None see the child locked within her form.
A woman from the day she ‘bleeds’. Such is the norm!
Forced now to enshroud all her slow-swelling bits,
jeered if she stands too straight, judged if she sits.
Her rights and choices are twins locked in cells.
Hushed if she laughs too loud, horse-whipped if she yells,
the year-older brother is left loose to grow,
unrestrained he plays while she gets a ‘No!’
Young minds do wander, she finds catharsis in love.
She bunks school in secret to 'make out' in the grove,
he is young too and breaks the pact, talks to a friend,
who promptly tells all to get in on the trend!
Her plight is prude gossip, the school calls her kin.
Bad grades and reticence are blamed on her 'sin',
the boy gets a knuckle rap and is asked to behave,
he nods leaving her alone to mope in her cave.
She is beaten until all the brown turns blue.
Her story is an anecdote, a warning, a clue,
she’s worse than before from losing her pals-
whose folks have told them to steer clear of 'bad gals'.
She scrapes through school with her average grades.
Reduced to shabby clothes and well-oiled braids,
she sticks to the schedule, keeps her head up,
pinning hopes on a job to pick her out of this sup.
Near-tasting liberation she hollers in joy.
Alas! She can’t take the job they have found her a boy,
maybe he would set her free if she says 'yes' to this,
they don’t want her anymore; she’d at least be his.
He spins tales of love to get her in bed.
She's not wise yet to see through his head,
his doll in ‘fancy’ clothes- she sates his lust,
colored lips can’t coat brains corroding from rust.
He’s signed the lease! They own a house!
She smiles and slowly unzips her blouse,
stuck feeding their child, she has not a life,
he sees ‘apathy’ and wages war on the wife.
Older from enduring, she doesn’t earn yet pays.
‘Your brother has moved out. It’s been ten days!’,
she waits in bated breath for her 'gilded' locks to turn,
there’s no freedom for compliant girls- will she ever learn!
For half her life, she has been taught to 'shut up and listen’,
now she forces the bars open, to raise her girl like a son.
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