If only I knew

That being born in this world

As a girl

Would be so callous,

I would revert to my mother’s womb

And shut her birth canal

But only if the seeds planted

Were coming into fruition as females.

But who can blame me?

When being a woman in this world means:

I don’t have the right to say ‘ No’

I can’t wear anything I want without being criticised.

I don’t have a voice and I am silenced all the time.

I am abused and killed every single day.

Where a safe place for me is a shelter for abused women.

Where I can’t walk the streets freely without the dread of being attacked or harassed.

Who can blame me?

This is definitely a man’s world.

If only God or mother gave me a forewarning

I would turn back

Before being birthed

And choose a different turn

Or come in a different time

When the world is welcoming and kind to women.

Yes I would; If only I knew.