Long before she was born
The balance, the societal scale,
The ground upon which her wobbly feet
Will learn to stand upright and walk steady
Had been socially disintegrated.

Arms with which her clay mind
Is to be molded and framed
Had been morally fractured.

The ‘responsible majority'
Saddled  with the making of serious decisions
Had decided against her-

The minor, with fewer rights
And a body like hers-
Double jeopardy, I will say.

The verdict always the same,
Unanimous more often than not
Guilty!! Is the girl child;
If she grows too fast
Or he touches her inappropriately.

So she learns from her early days
The skill of helplessness
All through the pain and the shame

For it is always her fault
Always has been
Long before she arrived

©Belema .S. Ekine