Girl Child
Girl Child
I remember,
When I opened my eyes,
Your sun-washed face was tense,
'It's a girl,' you said,
But your sadness didn't make sense,
I remember,
When I started walking,
Your shoulders had stooped down a little bit,
I thought it was to hold me from falling,
But it was the burden, wasn't it?
I remember,
When I saw my brothers going to school,
You chided me for asking for a slate,
I thought I'd done something wrong,
I should have known it was my fate..
I remember,
When you gave my brothers more food,
I ate my hunger and slept at night,
Even I couldn't make you happy,
I just could not do anything right..
I remember,
When I played with the tattered doll,
You married mine to the other,
I thought you were playing with me,
Before you gave yours to him forever..
I remember,
When he hut me, abused me, bruised me,
I thought you'd come take me away,
I knew you heard me from across the wall,
That was where I wept all day..
I remember,
When I screamed that night,
My eyes were wet but no one else cried,
Relief screamed in your silent eyes,
That night your little girl had died.