Also, a Girl
Also, a Girl
When a woman is property,
she’s part of the furniture.
A table where men
dig elbows, take
their fill.
A wastebasket, kicked
to a corner, place
to spit.
Shelf where scuffed
shoes sit.
Her vagina, keyhole crowbarred;
pillows, sweated, punched.
When a woman is property,
she also serves
as a means of production.
Run through
an assembly line, busily dis-
assembled.
Oh, how rich they are,
who can destroy
their property
like that.
Who blames a table
because it is scratched, one leg
broken?
But she feels blame, certain
no one wants
such a table–
She feels too
the table leg–still jammed
inside her–
She does not want it to touch
her inner thighs
so splays her own legs stiffly
to its sides
as if they were stilts,
as if they were splints,
as if they too
were wooden.
******************************
I’m back with a rather grim poem, sorry. This one inspired by (i) reading about the girls released or escaped from Boko Haram in Nigeria, many of whom seem compelled to deny some of their terrible ordeal out of fear that they will themselves be censured or stigmatized. (ii) This was also inspired by Shay/Fireblossom’s prompt on Real Toads to write a list poem. I am linking to Real Toads Open Platform. The pic is my drawing; all rights reserved for it, and, of course, for poem.
Note that I was thinking specifically of Boko Haram in Nigeria when writing this poem, but women are treated like property all over the world.
In terms of my own break–ah–not a good time for it! Thanks for your real world indulgence.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: Boko Haram, half the sky poem, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, manicddaily, when women are property poem, women as table poem
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ManicDDaily 
May 27, 2015 at 10:16 am
How rich they are?
Not really. There are plenty of people with little or no respect for property or what it took to get/create or what it means to care for much of anything. Maybe it is the definition of property and determination of ownership that is skewed.
If it is mine I can do what I want with it, kinda mentality.
Much like our rape of earth.
May 27, 2015 at 10:20 am
Not rich at all. Thanks. I have actually written a non-grim poem as well, but wanted to just get this one out of my system first. k.
On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 11:16 AM, ManicDDaily wrote:
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May 27, 2015 at 11:16 am
One of those times where to ‘like’ is not really fitting – but I like the way you’ve structured this, k.
May 27, 2015 at 9:16 pm
Thank you, Polly. k.
May 27, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Grim indeed.. it’s terrible to read.. I also read about some of the Yazidi women that were kidnapped by ISIS.. going through the same things.. (or worse).. a property indeed — it makes me sick.
May 27, 2015 at 9:11 pm
Me too. Thanks, Bjorn. k .
May 27, 2015 at 3:35 pm
The man who mistook his wife for a hat? Way grimmer than that. Well done, Karin, we should talk more about the grim, not shy away.
May 28, 2015 at 12:31 am
brutal. well depicted, from drawing to pen ~
May 28, 2015 at 5:47 am
Thanks, M. I really liked your idea of “thunk” and sorry if my comments were incoherent–all versions are good–so hard to decide! Take care, k
On Thu, May 28, 2015 at 1:31 AM, ManicDDaily wrote:
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May 28, 2015 at 7:07 am
Such power! Because it is true!
May 28, 2015 at 7:45 am
Here you get to the core of the cruel reality–that all too often the stronger will disfigure, abuse, objectify, use up the weaker, and then make them somehow feel it is their fault…because we all must be blameless in our own minds, unless you have somehow by some flaw in your being drawn down this curse and punishment, and then you must fell that wrongful and excoriating guilt for it…scathing, stark, lots of words could be used for this, but in the end it is just the plain truth, which too many people have to deal with all over the world. Blisteringly good, k.
May 28, 2015 at 9:40 am
Even in these times.. women are treated like property in some cultures.. which is terrible indeed.. your poem has captured this harsh reality well..!
Beautifully penned.. 🙂
xoxo
May 28, 2015 at 10:37 am
We need more “breaks” like yours. Your poem punched me in the gut, exactly where it needed to deliver its blow. Thanks. That is what poetry, I think, should do every now and then.
Greetings from London.
May 28, 2015 at 11:03 am
Courageous poem in calling attention to the atrocities that women suffer/have suffered throughout time. That metaphor of furniture couldn’t be more apt. Good to “see” you, Karin.
May 28, 2015 at 12:50 pm
This is a difficult poem to read, but such a necessary one to be written, spoken, recited and understood. Thank you.
May 28, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Thanks, Kerry.
May 29, 2015 at 2:22 am
Grim indeed, but needs as much airing as possible.