Ask me who I am
Wait, breathe in, and as you breathe out
Hold my right hand with your left
And put your right fist tight to your chest
Solemnly swear to your ancestors to never tell
Don’t dare offload my secrets to your lover
I was once a good girl
I was the sweetness that nectar is made of
I was pure, gentle and kind
I was the balm to the aching hearts of boys
I was the light at the end of their dark tunnels
I was the supply to their deep desires
Now, today, this woman I have become
Pricks hearts, stabs to leave deep wounds
She licks the bloody flesh of men like a vampire
While adding salt with every insult she hurls
She has become the dragon, spitting fire
She dumps men for their chivalry
Vow to the heavens to never judge me
Vow to your gods to never crucify me
Vow to never confess my sins to your pastor
Vow to never look at me differently
Vow to never breathe a word of this purge
Tonight, I am both the ying and the yang
Tshepo Phokoje is a lover of life, mother, amateur photographer, blogger and aspires to write more poetry and share life stories. She lives in Botswana. She is also an interviewer, most of her work can be found on the Africa in Dialogue magazine.