Look at me when I talk to you.
Fix your hair.
Check your teeth.
Take in the sounds, the scents –
sweet and floral.
No ink to your skin,
It will defile you –
rob you of your purity.
Stay on dry land,
Follow the sheep,
not the herder.
You are not in the position –
to lead.
Do as you are told, not as you want.
Remember your purpose —
Your God-given purpose.
Blessed are those who are meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Reduce the decibels in your voice.
Move your items to the left side of the room.
Walk on your tippy-toes—
not a single sound.
The dotted lines:
your safe space.
If you dare speak back —
add colour to your hair,
defile your skin—
You will be excommunicated from our lands,
effective immediately.
Branded a black sleep,
pariahed,
sentenced to life,
no chance of parole.
Your clothing turned to ashes,
Your name, desecrated.
Your temple, destroyed.
Your body, unidentifiable.
Respect, they say, is earned–
never yours to claim.
AUTHOR BIO
Chinenye K. is a Nigerian-Canadian writer whose poetry interrogates the intersections of gender, culture, and power. Her work focuses on inherited womanhood, resistance, and the politics of the body. She is based in Ontario and has been published by Diverse Voices Media.
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