Untilled land is what I am
A Virgin land stretching far beyond the borders;
Thorns have found their home in me,
Roots dig deep into the pit of my belly
Intertwining with my innards;
Shrubs have cast their shadows over my body
Small patches and big patches of shades
Leaves drop over me in the middle of the harmattan
Leaves fertilize me in the weather of tears.
No blade of iron has touched my hardened core
No blade has dared this thing before
But you stand over me with fury
Blade thrust forward, arms spread in conquest
You take down the patches of shade with swift thrusts
And yank out the thorns buried in me with brutal zest
Ignore my cries of pain
Ignore my pleas for mercy
I am woman, what do I know?
I am woman; I am yours upon to sow
Take my virginity and give me shame
Take my virginity and give me pain
You can prance around my land
Do a mad tribal dance amidst your ecstatic cries of victory.
Spill your seed all over my land
I will grow for you a generation upon bloodied sand
I will spurt for you a generation of angry crops.
Ignore my cries of pain,
Ignore my pleas for mercy
I am woman, what do I know?
I am woman; I am yours upon to sow
*For the young girls raped at the re-settlement camps in Benue Makurdi*
meet the poet: Estrella Gada
