Women’s Day

It is not a “happy” women’s day
It is not happy at all
When women die
At the hands of men
When women cry
For their children
For their sisters
For their lives
No it is not happy
It is grief
It is torment
It is an injustice
It is death unto the female species
How can we sit here
And think to ourselves that we are okay
How can we lie to ourselves
No I cannot
I cannot lie
To myself about this facade
I cannot lie
To the future generations
Of women
I cannot lie
To the children
That must still spill forth
From every woman’s womb
No I cannot
I will not
In the generations before
Women fought for our freedom
To be equally seen as human
To be free
To vote
In this generation
Women are fighting
For our lives
For our safety
In the generations before
Women voted for a government
Who would free us
And treat us as equal
In this generation
We are fighting
For the government to keep us
Alive and safe
No it is not a “happy” women’s day
When women and children are dying
Mercilessly
At every hour
Of every day
By the hands of the ones
Who are supposed to protect us
Protect us
Protect her

By Adine Pietersen