Remember
Remember the last month, when Her Majesty invaded the
territory in all her bright red glory,
You saw me doubling over in excruciating pain and felt sorry.
You asked me if I wished to become a man whilst you gave me
the hot water belt,
It would’ve been nice if men too shared the blood and pain
that we as women felt.
No! I refuse be a man that’s what I told you,
It’s a price I have to pay to be a mother, an explanation with which I grew.
Remember when you told me to smile at strangers,
And then one day I did and that put my life in
danger.
You thought life is about living these beautiful little
moments,
But then he chased me till home and left me smelling pungent.
You came home running and saw me shaking,
And asked me whether I wished to be a man to avoid this
character staking.
These battles have to be fought as a woman was what I told
you then,
The time when I will ask ‘would you rather be a woman’ is
not far, amen.
Remember the other day when you came to me and sat me down,
‘I am gay’ you said the three words and I kept myself from
having a meltdown.
These were not the exact three words I was hoping to hear
from your mouth,
I had imagined our kids’ names, for crying out loud.
And when this time you asked me whether I wished to be man,
It’s a vehement yes, I kept repeating. If only I can.
Wow! I love the buildup and the ending.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nobby.
DeletePersonally I have always thought of rhyming poetry as a tyranny, but I almost always am bowled over when someone else does it well, which I think is the case here, quite unobstrusive.
ReplyDeleteAnd like Nobby, I wasn't expecting the poem to go where it did. But it seems quite apt, like it could only end that way, given the poems examining of what it means to be a woman/man, and what it means to love someone of either gender.
Thank you for the appreciation, Nelson. And, oh yes, rhyming is a bit an ordeal. God knows how many times I formulated and reformulated the sentences to make them rhyme, also making sure that they don't lose their essence.
DeleteIt's an interesting dilemma to have, as a woman. The strength in her first not wishing to be a man, regardless of all the dangers, but her wanting to be a man because her lover proclaims he's gay.
ReplyDeleteAs a character, the man doesn't seem to be a good person. Great story telling; I an actively invested in this woman's plight. And in such few lines, you've managed to create some interesting characters.
He does? I've been so engrossed about the feelings of the woman that I quite honestly ignored how the man was coming out to be through this narrative. Thank you for making me think about it and also for the kind words.
DeleteRelatable content, and I love how it just details women's lived experiences and you have it classed in your head as that, and then it punches you with the heartbreaking revelation.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you can resonate with this poetry.
Delete