Patricia Anuwality Nyirongo is a Malawian writer. She studies Special Needs Education at the Catholic University of Malawi, and is a young leader and mentor at the Malawi Girl Guides Association.
Bruises
I failed to take heart as I was reclining for the day,
Bathing water in the cauldron and supper on the table,
Busy with the bairn but I could not take heart.
Something inside me coerced my body to go,
Trying to accord all attention on the television but, no… It failed,
Stood up by the love force, and went out
Broken into tears and helpless.
My heart filled up to bursting.
The image left in my mind would not vanish easily, and hurt badly.
My brain captured it all but failed to interpret what my eyes perceived,
Thrashed him as a daredevil.
No mercy.
No explanation would be appreciated as an excuse.
Finally my consciousness forced me to stop.
I grasped my girl inside just to prove
She was in pain.
I whined but soon remembered I’m a mother –
the one she looks to for solace.
My girl was left with hidden marks and bruises.
She was assaulted
In a world that is shot through with hazards for girls
In a world that will neither serve nor save us.