A begger

i arrived at the mall
there she was
half sited, half lying
her right hand out-stretched
at the extremity was a bowl
its base barely covered with silver and copper

her face
reflecting the misery, the pain and the hunger
the eyes
grey, deep inside her sockets
reflecting back darkness
her clothes
which used to be clothes were only a form
unfamiliar form

people walk pass her
some threw coins
one tried to talk
she is not interested
or too weak to be bothered

some pass without a glance
life is too busy to care
but she will be here tomorrow
day after tomorrow and next week

she epitomise patience, strength and hope
how she maintain her sanity
one only wonders
Woman's toil

saw her bending over to till the soil
her hand-hoe raised above her head
in synchrony with her friends'
it hit the ground with the might of an African woman
heard them singing
Mmangwane mpelegele

saw her in a field of sorghum
the knife moving with inborn expertise
together they moved with the rhythm of the song
to bring the season harvest to the grain basket
heard them singing
Mmangwane mpelegele

saw her with a willowing basket
whistling for wind to clean tomorrow's food
falling grain from the array of baskets,
made a spectacular sight
heard them singing
Mmangawane mpelegele

saw her high on top of a hut
her friends throwing bundles of grass
her hands diligently making the roof
to shut out the heat and the cold
heard them singing
Mmangwane mpelegele


saw her with a bundle of wood on her head
on her back a cute bundle of her love
her hands carrying watermelon
for the evening meal
her stride sure and strong
heard her singing
Mmangwane mpelegele


saw her bathing the children
serving food to her man
drawing water from the river
heard her singing
Mmangwane mpelegele
with or without her friends
her work is never finished
Rape

Mama I am hurting
A sweet man gave me sweets
He held my hand

The sweet man turned into a monster
He pinned me to the ground
He stood astride over my body

Unzipping his pocket
came a sharp monstrous knife
As it loomed over my body I screamed

Mama I was frightened
As his devilish eyes widens
the monstrous knife grew bigger and frightening

With devilsh monstrosity it stabbed
Like a proboscis it probed

Mama it is painful
He returned his limp knife to the holster
and run away
I lay there
My body broken
hymen shattered
The soul destroyed
A mark of phallic abuse
You abuse me

you admired the sassy saucy me
to ask for a date
that resulted in more dates
unknowingly i blushed

you acquired my hand
slipped the diamond
followed by plans and dreams
unknowingly i smiled

the smile was no longer a smile
but a frown
a dance but feet shuffling
dreams but nightmares
dates but house arrests

sweaty roving lovers' hands disappeared
to reappear as brutish fists
to remodel my african curves into bruises
to scar my soul with venom

your sculpture devoid of artistic prowess
you became a possessed painter
whose red paint splashed my face
to mirror uncoordinated brush strokes

now that i know
you did not love me
you abuse me
you abuse me

I fell from the stairs

the muffled noise turned into sobs
the sobs became louder
and turned into weeping

my children peeped through door cracks
the milk that once fed them
churned to take a watery appearance
that gushed from the tear duct

the sobs, weeping and punches
all crystalised into pain so sorrowful
as my childresn continue to peep
the cuts deepened
the milk that once nourished them
coagulated to a crimson appearance

i fell from the stairs
i remember telling the police

in God's name
what delineates love from mercy
from forgiveness
from foolishness
i asked myself

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