Three Poems
1. From Beginning to End, a Good Wife
Beti, we taught you young to be a good woman.
For all man in the universe,
Never disobey them
Because all they say and do are the laws
Always dress aesthetically pleasing
Do all house chores as if they are your friends
Pay attention to all things a size of a pea
Remain subservient to men.
Yes, she would not disagree with all her duties and responsibilities.
Cultures and Conventions,
Sticking With Her From Inception
Beti, thank goodness a man accepted you!
My pleasure is killing me
Be grateful to God
Men are as hard to find as a diamond
Brighter than the sun
So they must be respected and loved by all
And they must be treated with care
For you, this man is too good to be true.
Yes, she will adore the marriage arranged for her.
Beti, he will treat you well.
He will tell you clearly what to do
The standards and rules will quickly speak to you
All stuff will naturally come to you
And things will be as easy as a piece of cake
Most times, you both work alone
He works out, and you work in
Try your best, and he will too.
Yes, she understands everything expected of her.
Traditions and Practices,
Attaching to Her Presently
Beti, but before marriage, I must warn you.
Do not expect the world from a man
Not even that he will love you for a million years
Love is like water, so if something happens
I’m sorry, and I will cry a river
No, no, no, never leave your husband
For yourself and us, please stay like a doll
Yes, yes, yes, women only say yes like a robot.
Yes, her roles are heavy enough compared to a man.
Beti, you can never choose another man!
No man will take you
And no one would even lift an eye at you
A cheated girl is a deviant animal
The unclean body is a polluted ocean
You will be unacceptable to all Correctly position yourself
And you will never be wrong.
Yes, she has only one option to choose.
Stereotypes and Restrictions,
Clinging With Her Forever
Beti, listen to me. You would not be mistaken in life.
She will obey every man in life.
A Good Daughter.
A Good Wife.
A Good Mother.
2. Destructive but Hidden Moment
Overhearing the Secret Ugly News Swish
Leaving like a Dead fish
Moving slowly and steadily
Sensing a feeling to Faint Heavily
then,
Falling like a piece of paper
Shutting her Red eyes tighter
Allowing all tears to run like a River.
Rushing into the place they made Love
Which is no longer a Secret.
Imagining him and someone else making love
Bodies Intertwining,
Fluids Leaking,
Voices Moaning,
Looking at everything in this place after the Intruder
Recalling their Memories like a computer.
Screaming.
Weeping.
Dying.
The taste of saltwater never ceases,
Dripping as fast as an overflowing sea.
Her entire Planet
like a Falling leaf.
The time has come Now.
Herself, face, hair, attire
Must be brought Back.
As if she hasn’t Ever slacked,
Or heard a Penny smack.
She holds everything in and
Whispers,
“My life Never Ends.”
The second she enters home,
a place meant to Restrict a counterpart
Hate
Replaced with a smile
As if nothing has gone Wild,
Everything was normal.
She buries all in her heart,
As strong as a Stone holding heavy feelings.
Then the same door creaked,
Rushing to the door for pleasure,
Hugging and Kissing her husband, Whatsoever and
Reinforcing “I Love You” whatsoever.
She only can Pretend she loves him and he loves her Forever
and She will Bury the ugly secret forever.
Yes, she Can’t do a single thing without him,
Ever.
3. The Real Talk
darling, I’m home.
do you have a woman beside me?
have you been telling tales to me?
are you cheating on me?
can you admit everything to me?
darling, what are you talking about?
darling, why are you acting like a crazy little girl?
darling, you are a mature woman now.
darling, you know how to behave better.
darling, trust me, I didn’t.
darling, I’m tired of your nonsense now.
darling, just cut it out!
darling, even if I did cheat, so what.
darling, what can a powerless mouse do with the cat?
you are a man,
and the real prince,
but I’m your woman,
the real slave!
you can cheat
and nothing more happens
because this is a patriarchal society!
you have all
other females in a line,
army of family, friends, and supporters,
authority and power like a dictatorship,
status and recognition like a hero,
tons of jobs and opportunities if you call.
it’s normal for you already, isn’t it?
how would you feel if I did the same nasty thing to you?
darling, spit what you said again.
darling, tell me now before I hunt that man down!
darling, I will kill you like an inflamed creature!
darling, I will make your world break as quickly as your heart!
darling, I can, but you can’t because I have all the control in the universe!
darling, I will never allow a woman to get on top of me.
darling, tell me the facts, and I will change you in a second, like a dirty shirt.
I will never do such an ugly thing as you did
because I’m not you!
darling, what do you mean then?
darling, so do you want to break up?
darling, you can never reverse the dead truth like no one can reverse time.
can I break up with a prince as precious as a gem?
can I cheat like the ugly prince?
can I feel guilty every second in my pounding heart?
can I find another man who will love me forever?
can I be torn into strips of paper?
can I dismiss society’s yells in my dark dreams?
can I lose men’s assistance and support in clicks?
can I lose my angel family?
can I lose my job like a moth to a flame?
can I be in conflict after a thousand years?
can I have the power to disrupt gender norms as rigid as a brick wall?
can I lose my good-wife reputation that remains a beautiful picture?
can I be myself that is frowned upon by all?
can I be as deviant as a clown?
can I be dirty garbage that is thrown by all?
can I handle it all?
no, I really cannot!
darling, that’s what I thought.
darling, I know you cannot.
darling, memorize how to act like a servant and don’t dare to question the king.
darling, stay with me because you know my love will never change like a glass of water.