Strangled Joy

By -

This had been the envy of every compound
she had married a warrior
she birthed five sons
and brought forth three daughters
young girls hoped to be like her
they flocked in to be paraded before her agile sons
other women rallied around her
she was a queen amongst queens
her joy knew no bound

That was before they came
they came on things like iron horses
they came like gods amongst men
they came with skin like the burning ball in the sky
they came like men who knew no slumber

They took our young men the pride of our villages
our daughters were left to roam
past puberty with none to hold on cold nights
they gradually snuffed the life out of us
lazy men; like one eyed men in a town of blind men became prized suitors
old women lamented, remembering the abundance of suitors in their time.

Her compound is but an echoing whisper
her husband a withering warrior
her beautiful wrappers used to bury three sons
they came back heroes
but what use is a dead hero?


posted by Gracee

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