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My body bleeds from the inside.
My blood is cold beneath my skin
Frozen with shame
They undressed me
In front of a thousand strange men
Stripped me of all pride and dignity
Laughing, pointing at my withered breasts
Hoping for subjugation they beat me
Beat me in my nakedness
Then they chained my hands, chained my feet
Trapped me with dank sour smells of lost hope
In a cold cell with rusty bars
Then clanked the door shut
Threw the keys in a forgotten mine
Hoping I too would be forgotten
My body bleeds from the inside
My spirit is wounded
I am chained
Yet my thoughts roam
In places far beyond these walls
Places I have been and those I will soon be
My visa to freedom
My mind
they can never
take
Away
From me.
©By Batsirai E Chigama
First published in “War Against War”
by Mensa Press USA, 2010
Batsirai is a prolific poet and one of Zimbabwe's most well known Spoken Word artists. She is one of the female pioneers of the country's modern day spoken word craft. You can see some of her work and read her blog on her personal website at www.batsiraichigama.maumbile.com.
Am spell bound. your writing is so....dont have the words but i was transported. For the few minutes i read this poem my mind was all yours and am left in a pensive mood. I really loved this and would love the story behind this poem.
praisendlovu Sunday, 25 March 2012 18:24 Comment Link
Now I know why I love poetry, it's so real! Awesome stuff Batsirai.
Amanda Mardon Tuesday, 27 March 2012 11:29 Comment Link