WUNRN
A coordinator of the FOKO Project in Madagascar, who prefers to go by the pseudonym SipakV, submitted this poem in Malagasy and English.
Poem - Abandoned Woman
“What
man would stay ?”
No, but he is the one who left
Wouldn't he leave
You are an abandoned woman
Shaming us
Shaming our family
Look at your hair
Look at your face
Look at your cooking
Look at your unkept house
What man would stay ?
I did my best
I cut my hair, straightened
it
I put perfumed cream on my
face
I tried my best cooking every
day
I straightened the house
But Ikoto and Ikala
Wanted love and care
He did not even notice
He came home late every night
Drunk on women and alcohol
Dumb with rage
Because our life sucks
Our kids misbehave
His wife is ugly
And he wants to beat up his
loss
Erase it on my face and body
Erase it every night with no
luck
Last time the neighborhood
committee came
And gave me advice
You are a woman
Resign yourself
Tough it out until the end
When the sky comes crashing
down on you
And the Reverend Father came
by
Remember Victoire
Rasoamanarivo he said
But I am not looking for
happiness in the next world
But peace for Ikoto and Ikala
is what I seek
You came today mother and
said
He is my lot
Violence my destiny
Prison my fate
Because where am I to go
Jobless woman
So mother let me…
Look at your hair
Look at your face
Look at your cooking
Look at your unkept house
What man would stay ?
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