‘This Pain…’ by Guest Contributor Tendai Garwe aka Sokostina

[Today marks the start of the #16Days of activism against gender based violence. Share your blog posts on the subject with us]

Am in bliss; total relief; loving every moment in disbelief.

Will the pain return or am I in final freedom like a flying leaf.

What is this, its sharp pain and just changed my skin color.

Did I celebrate too soon?

This familiar feeling, is heat on my meat.

That sound, what’s that sound? Sounds like bricks coming down on me.

I feel my heart breaking; something is piercing my soul

My head is ringing, feels like it’s going to explode

This pain, don’t tenderize me, I am not a piece of steak to roast

Let me be, it s bed time not breakfast time that you burn me like toast

You boast that you own me;

You paid for me in exchange for eight beasts

This pain I feel is supposed to be foreign yet it’s become so familiar

Like the beasts you traded me in for;

You keep leaving your mark for branding;

Your fists, your words, your treating me an asset;

A priced possession you want no one to take.

This pain is too much;

It feels like heated metal eating into my flesh

Sinks deep enough to leave exposed wounds

But shallow enough to not damage the bones

This pain has turned me into a drug addict,

I pop pills more than a baby eating candy

My soul is belittled

My heart detangled

I feel a different pain this one you can’t use pain-killers

This pain I do not want, I can’t stand it, it needs to end.

Something has got to give and it’s definitely not me.

Either I die or he dies, whichever way this pain has got to end.