The Commandments

In 2016, my body is still a battlefield
Bloody, lying, a lying carcass, they always tell me I am lying
Even when what happened happened to me.
They always say it was someone else, or I brought it upon myself, or I wanted it, or
Why didn’t I do better? Read harder? Look nicer…look worse. Cook better…fuck different.
The things that a woman is required to do in our society is a bible of contrasting, conflagrating ordinances designed to confuse, abuse and misuse everything that a woman is ‘supposed’ to be.

I mean, let’s be real
Who is actually supposed to keep up with all this stuff?
Be a wife
A mother – to your babies and to him
A provider for the rest of your family waiting on a ridiculous dowry
The perfect daughter in law
The stripper lay
The Gordon Ramsay level cook
The involved parent
The Proverbs 31 virtuous angel
The mistress, if that’s your chosen path
The gifted interior designer
The put-together princess
The accountant
The backup plan

And those are just the first 10 commandments

He gets to walk in after a long day at work just like you and fall asleep watching the show that you both used to like when you were in college only you have
No idea what’s going on in it anymore – and it’s in Season 4.
Do we have any idea what’s going on anymore?

We don’t.

It’s all burning at the same time –
And you’re supposed to put it out, somehow.

Somehow.

***

(This poem was featured at the Kwani Open Mic, September edition in honour of International Equity Week.)

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