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DEAD DIGNITY

Image by: Man de Man Photography
 
I sing a lonely song to the moonlight
The only closest company I may ever have tonight
I hum to the echoes of the winds that blow
Composing a symphony only I will ever know,
Or will anybody else hear it?
Give me the chance to obtain my biggest profit
A currency paid in form of a listening ear
If ever I have the capability to renounce this great fear
 
I am just a girl,
A girl yearning to be free
Mine me out from societal detriments, and simply let me be
The girl that I know I want to see
Will never be so until you let me be
 
Papa, Oh Papa
If the moon is to turn over to face the day
How I wish I’d have a road map to guide as I run away
Away from the shackles of an undesired earthly eternity
To please a society that makes merry from impunity
My hands and feet you view as currency
You glare at the sight of apples dangling down a tree
Ripe and sweet for your remedy
Punishing me to be lower than a slave
At the expense of my only choice, that God gave
 
Mama, oh mama
You are a woman like me
Out of his bone and flesh, your unity bore me
But I wonder, oh Mama, while you sip your tea
While you huff and puff your anger like the raging sea
While you watch my walk
While you teach me how to talk
While you effortlessly chatter away with devious maids
Reminiscing on the ransom you freely paid
I wonder,
Would my pain make you shutter, or pierce like a blade?
Or would you suppress your guilt, celebrating societal upgrade?
 
I’m not grown up Mama, though I have to do so now
Stripped of my valid dreams Papa, I give in to a senseless vow
 
There’s a flower that blooms from within my soul
A burning flame that seeks to light the world as a whole
The city never sleeps, neither do I
My mind rants like volcanic activity, I hardly shut an eye
Lest I miss a glimpse of hope that could come my way
To awaken my dead dignity, buried everyday
 
I see that girl, that girl I know I can be
Beautiful, fully grown and ultimately free
Mama, Papa, you too could also see
If only you’d awaken my dead dignity... just let me be
Free! Free!
Awake, alive and free!
©namwano

 

This is a piece written to cause awareness and fight against the menace of Early Marriages. Every girl child does have a right to a normal growth pattern. Stripping one of them of their dreams and ambitions by marrying them off early does in no way bring any development in society. Join the fight against early marriages- be a voice for the voiceless, as loud as can be, for there’s someone who needs you in order to be free!

Comments

  1. Unknown20 June 2014 at 11:18

    I see you chose to go the poetry way :-) Nice, Sharleen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Namwano (Nash) Shichende20 June 2014 at 15:56

      Testing the waters if I may call it that.... thank you so much

      Delete
  2. Anonymous20 June 2014 at 12:24

    Niiiiicceee... I like that you are writing for a bigger cause

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown20 June 2014 at 15:33

    I like...keep writing

    ReplyDelete
  4. private academic writters21 June 2014 at 05:23

    Wow this is really touching dear

    ReplyDelete
  5. sykes!21 June 2014 at 06:08

    Finally something I can critique.
    This is actually good. A proper poem. With all the ingredients. Nice to see a cause on there as well. Try wielding your poetic license more. But this is good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous21 June 2014 at 09:50

    Nice way to put it :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Unknown21 June 2014 at 18:48

    You did it again!!!! Beautiful, intense stuff

    ReplyDelete
  8. THE T41224 June 2014 at 14:05

    intrigue.... awesome

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unknown1 July 2014 at 12:09

    Awesome Piece. Deep in content and richness in the vocab.

    ReplyDelete

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