Wounded Feminine

On entering the tunnel, I see her –
pallor a notable shade of ghostly

Tattered, her dress hangs in billowing
folds of transparency; she beckons

No words pass between us, but
her haunting gaze begs audience

So, I bear witness to her tale –
a gruesome re-enactment of her death

Slow and agonizing, her femininity
scalded and tortured till flesh festered

and infection drove her to madness –
no solace offered, no medicine rendered

No more than a child, I now see –
a tragic retelling of innocence turned victim

Do not look away, her spirit commands,
the suffering continues, and I will haunt

Till justice recognizes the crime
and restitution restores balance.

(Reena’s Xploration offered the opening line, and Eugi’s Weekly Prompt – notable– added to the narrative. This apparition appeared to me in that tunnel between waking and sleep, begging that I share her story. Image my own)

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VJ

Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

29 thoughts on “Wounded Feminine”

  1. Pingback: Reena’s Xploration Challenge #211 – Reena Saxena

  3. Don’t ever hesitate to post something like this. It needs to be said I’m just writers we definitely do need to raise our voices. Who was it who said the pen is mightier than the sword. Let’s hope that is true although I do agree that misogyny seems to be on the rampage at the moment. A painful though brilliant poem.

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  10. What a heart-rending story! I came across posts on normalisation of abuse today – a 10+ girl being repeatedly molested by her tutors and being told “All men are like that.” The abuser was thrown out because she scored low in exams, not for his reprehensible behaviour.

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    1. It really infuriates me, Reena. In our culture it is expressed: “boys will be boys”. A friend who was abused repeatedly by their priest was told: “It’s just how he shows you he loves you.” Enough!

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