First Published: 4th of May, 2021
Last updated: May 5, 2021 at 1:25 amThe following poem was sent in to us by Guyanese author, Pushpa Jagnandan. Through poetic language, she explores the struggles and fate of women who suffer domestic abuse and violence. Pushpa is also the author of Plucky the Chicken.
With great speed she ran
And hid under the fan.
He came searching for her,
Throwing down the fan to injure her.
She sped under the bed.
Hoping he’d come looking for her
And hit his head.
But he bent down and peeked at her.
He began spraying her with poison:
Shouting like a maniac:
“You’re in my house!”
“This is my house!”
“You are so weak; I can crush YOU with my bare hands.”
“You don’t have a job!”
“You eat MY FOOD!”
“Worthless, scrawny, good for nothing, Lady Cockroach!”
The lady cockroach ran out from under the bed,
And tried to squeeze through the door.
The maniac followed her and squeeze her abdomen with the door.
She yelled but no one heard her,
Only the one in her abdomen felt the pain they shared.
“There is no escape!” The maniac shouted.
The Lady Cockroach was heavy, tired and in pain.
She gave up the fight.
No one from the colony came to defend her.
Tomorrow, on social media all of her friends will write up how sorry they are.
Tomorrow, the news will have her name read:
‘Pregnant Lady Cockroach killed by Maniac.’
Some will say, he only loved her like an insect…just waiting to kill her.
Some won’t stop asking, “why didn’t she leave sooner?”
Well, it’s because her colony failed her.
Our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends are sometimes treated like insects,
And we don’t do enough for them.
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