More than a cry

Tsungirirai Demetria Kambayo ‘AKA’ ‘Tough Lady’

The pain is heavy

Hard to engage with the levy

It has been a chevy

To address it as a bevvy

Dragged to comply Misery to absorb Betrayed power to regret Until when

Do we have to compromise?

It gets irritating

Dreams crave to be irrigated Words alone have become irrelevant Are we really irresponsible

Or the opportunities are irregular?

Women, women, women! Shame, abomination is our identity Abortion, our new culture

The action to bear children

Is where our attraction lies

Our future lies in their will It hurts to be lonely Will we ever be alone To decide for ourselves?

Are we to compete

To make the world complete?

We just want to be unique Contribute willingly to the table Empower while we still have the power

As a mother, my daughter is to draw inspiration from me

How then can I accommodate affirmation When beneath my potential

I am suppressed?

I want to be there for my son Strengthen him through thick and thin How then can I

If all my energy is to satisfy sexual desires?

My baby girl, you married off to a monster School dropout, all efforts in vain Unprotected sex, no say to stand for herself Unplanned webs of infections Unwanted pregnancy, the journey to child labour takes its roots beneath

All you do is celebrate the childbearing machine You created her into

Can’t we work together towards one goal To make our land a better home

To groom our girls into women of change To perform at our best to create transformation To deal away with oppression

And women’s rights suppression?

Is what we ask too much?

We cry for hope and freedom

Take a stand in amplifying the voices of women In solidarity with Palestinian women

We are more

And we deserve more!

Interested to have your fiction or nonfictional short story, poetry and essay published in the Youth Corner?

Send it to nwahengo@nepc.com.na The word limit is 400.