It's another year and another International Women's Day - 'inspiring change' is this years theme. A change in this unequal world where women's equality is of unimportance in many parts. A change to the violence against women. A time for change and for people of power to promote and motivate a change. When I think of celebrating women's achievements I think of those who have suffered and have overcome. Who have - despite the hardships and the trauma they have been through - have been able to rise, to be an inspiration to others and kick sand in the eyes of those who tried to sit them permanently onto the seat of oppression. A place where the oppressor tries to take control of their mind, body and soul.
Women across this world have been able to rise and a poem from one of my favourite poets Maya Angelou fits this years theme of 'inspiring change' and my own sub-theme 'women rising'. The poem is called 'Still I Rise' and it has been an honour for me to create this sound poem.
Last year I read 'Possessing the Secret of Joy' by Alice Walker. In an author's note at the end of this book, Alice Walker writes that between ninety million and one hundred million girls and women alive today have undergone the procedure Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Reading this book was an emotional journey for me, I have been aware of FGM for many years, but have never read a novel where it was the theme. It left my heart in tears for a very long time and encouraged me to do further research. It is time for a change amongst particular groups of people, a change of so-called tradition and for the voices of these women imprisoned in these groups to be heard. Victims of FGM I hear you! This is my shout out against FGM!Sound poem for Lesser Woman
Lesser Woman
Amongst the cries of death that sat smoking fags on the winds that blew through
In between the screams
Minor unwelcoming pauses offer no comfort as mind lose consciousness
Blank void empty vacant
Dead to the world switched off it seems
Detached forcefully removed from current reality
Although not oblivious to the pain that became
That ripped through with rage every nerve and tissue and skin and flesh and
Veins pumped filled with red blood
It sprayed and splattered and soaked and flooded
It dripped loud like thunder and shook that bloody hut
Every drop of blood that fell made me become less
A lesser girl a lesser female a lesser woman
Genderless a lesser sex by those considered to be a greater
A place stuck in the realms, in the middle of male and female
I am nothing it seems
An unwanted spot on flawless skin
To be plucked like female chin hair
Soon no longer two mouths but one through which I scream and I scream and I scream
Palms hold me down
Arms push my legs open wide
Eyes avoid locking with mine
Human flesh became a fish gutted by fish monger hands
They cut me they gutted me
Meat cattle a lamb to the slaughter
Shove me into a burger and you sell me like the junk food you think I am
Even a rat won't sniff me won't give me a second glance
They'll just walk right over that piece of me you threw out in the yard
They cut me
And celebrated the fact that they cut me
Under the banner of tradition superstition
The suffering of the girls and woman a taboo not to be told
Whispered in nightmares mutilation flashbacks
The attack on the very thing that makes me a woman
With a swift movement of the blade I became a lesser woman
Copyright © 2014 Sonneteer Articulates (aka Traysi Matthew, Traysi Speaks)
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Sonneteer Articulates (aka Traysi Matthew, Traysi Speaks)
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