Female Eunuch: English Poem by Nosheen Reza

I am centuries old, old as female servitude.
Born the morning Eve descended to earth,
Naked and trembling,
With memories of her sin seared upon her mind.
I have inherited

The confinement of womb, home and grave;
Moments of pain
When my body is an open wound that will not heal.
I am the howling cry of the girl
Child buried alive;
Peeling discoloured flesh,
Like the skin unraveled off a rotten orange

Dissolving bones within a red stagnant pool;
Blind, with worms gnawing at my eyes;
Wailing, whishing, waiting lie.
My hands raised up, pushing against

Mounds of earth, open palms facing
The heaven; the prayer of the helpless.
I am the girl that dwells within
The square concrete box;

I run on money.
Insert a coin into the mouth,
Press the right buttons
And I will jump up, beg,
Lie down, play dead;
Or I can walk, talk, smile,
Beguile, defile. Do do do
Whatever you want me to.

I am the Female Eunuch;
Calm, clean, clear on the surface
But inside in a dark, dark corner
Of my head.
Is a little dark demon with red eyes, Swollen lips,
That darts about.

“Tomorrow is Not Promised You,” it chants.
Low and fierce,
As its grotesque dance
Grows faster and fiercer,
As if galvanized by the beat
Of drums.

The demon galumphs across a
Long jagged crack at the base of my skull;
Thumpity di-
Spurts forth a red sea;
Thumpity di-
I hum,
So what is the total sum?

As if in answer, the demon snarls-
“Tomorrow is Not Promised You
For only when the Female Steps onto the quivering entrails
Of the Female Eunuch,
Will tomorrow’ give birth to
A New Beginning.”