By 
A bottomless pit beyond
A deep chasm beneath our reach
It rages the soul of Man
She was raped, abused
and molested
He threatened with death
if she spill his name.
Questioned by the judge,
Again and again
*She denied in his favor
His soul beaming with devil’s smile in the Query box
She lost her pride, he lost his dignity*
The stigma taunted her till the very end
She became alone yet
in the midst of many.
He was a fine dark bloke.
Shooting shots everywhere
Fathering scores of children, not claiming paternity for any.
Life they say is ephemeral
At 60, he was down with cancer
With no one to call Family.
He became a grumpy old man at 70
His regrets and solitude became his true companions.
He didn’t speak and seek for help
He drowned in his grief and sadness everyday
He was found dead with a green rope dangling from the ceiling to his neck.
She turned 37 on a last Thursday of harmattan filled December
Rich, suave, beautiful but single
Her fears raging like wild December fire
Family scorned her
Society pitied her
She wanted to desperately walk down the aisle
She settled for the next available suitor, with 2 kids in less than 3 years.
Broken face, swollen gums and blistered skin were all home injuries, she told her friend.
She couldn’t bear the single mum title
She lived with a monster for 16 years
She died 2:25pm on a cold Wednesday afternoon
She was buried amidst tears, He brought another woman to her graveyard as he paid his last respects
She lost to death, leaving her children at the mercy of a strange woman.
Abyss of Silence, tumbles like a whirlwind
Our hopes unfulfilled, dreams unachieved.
If we refuse to speak up for what we truly want
We must let our voices soar unless the stigma would tame us till we go 6ft beyond.
Adeyinka Zaynab