Women

We have been taught to conceal our faces
Conceal the fears that surround us
We are taught to live in fear in our own home
In fear of our own shadows
We have been trained to be commodities
They buy us, sell us, use us and discard us
We have been taught to smile in front of them
Cry silently as they sleep
We have been deprived of all freedom
Of feeling worthy of what we are
They have made sculptures of what they desire
So that we may follow
And we sacrifice,
We give up all that is given by God
We have been brainwashed by community
They see us, a burden,
Heavier each day
And we are thrashed around
Violated and killed
Made into no more than statistics in print
But I am the woman who brought you up
I am the one who shielded you from the rain
I am the mother
I am the sister
I am the love that will remain in you