Wake up,
Wash his clothes, hang them
Hang me

Make breakfast
Serve, not too hot not too cold
Wake him
Dress him, care for him and love him.
Ndingum’mfazi!
(I am a woman)

Prepare lunch for him,
Kiss him goodbye
Clean house, clean me,
Wash away tears
Make up bruises
Patch heart
Ndingum’mfazi!!
(I am a woman)

Bleach teeth, wide white smile

Then make his favourite meal
Mutton and steam bread
Served at 37.45 degrees Celsius
Dessert dressed in a red dress
So blood stains go unnoticed.
Fridge chilling one beer
Ndingu’mfazi!!!
(I am a woman)

He is “HOME”
And fuming yet again
Door slaps
“Molo mfazi wam,” he greets

Evil grin on his face,
Smelling of cheap wine
And red lipstick on the corner of his shirt collar
Unbuttoned, and hairy belly hanging out
Red eyes approaching me

Run. Say something. Run. For goodness’ sake move!
I pray instead, EYES CLOSED:

Our father who art in heaven
Hell be his name
Thy man perish
And thy will be done
On earth as it is in here

Give me this day,
His daily bread
And forgive his trespasses as you forgave mine
Lead me not into death but deliver him into salvation

For thy is thy man
Thy power and thy glory
Forever and ever

And the women say:
Amen

Regain consciousness,
Big, black hands wrapped around my neck
Strangling,
Struggling to breathe
Pushed me against kitchen cupboards
Suffocating,

Undoing his belt, then his zip
His heavy breath in my ear
And then he whispered
“Qina! Ungum’mfazi!!!!”

Feeling helpless…

After some silence
Dress tore
And,
I feel his manhood
Piercing my insides
Pain all around my abdomen
Ripping me apart

After a while it all went numb
As he was still pleasing himself.

The knife that prepared his meal still on top of the kitchen sink
I take one deep breath and grab it
Then into him.
Tearing his skin, muscle and bone
Losing strength,
Giant falls

Gasping for air
Whilst he speaks his last word
“M…F…A…Z…I” he whispers as he takes his last breath

My body begins to shiver and on my knees
Next to the warm-blooded corpse

“Father, forgive his trespasses as you forgave mine
Lead me not into death but deliver him into salvation

For thy is thy woman
Thy power and thy glory
Forever and ever”

And the men say:
Amen

Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo
You strike a woman, you strike a rock!

STOP GENDER BASED VIOLENCE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
PATRIARCHRY MUST FALL!!!!