By Nehru Odeh
Only the walls bear witness to it
That night that hid with evil intent
That night she was gangraped
But the gang of rapists knew
That only the walls bear witness to it
That night
Her love and dreams shattered into smithereens
That night
Her heart was broken into pieces
That night …
But I never saw you again, fair lady
The fair lady with curvaceous frame
Have you regained your lost self
Have you regained your violated self
The fair lady with curvaceous frame
But all is not fair when rapists foul the air
I was raped by a gang of five
Raped
Where I called home
Raped
And all my love became smithereens
So says the lady of love
The fair lady with curvaceous frame
Who never knew any fairness
Who never got any justice
Whose love for her people knew no limits
I was raped by a gang of five
So says the lady of love
Who had so much love to give
But never got any love where she called home
Though they had once sold her ancestors into slavery
Bared their fangs at her ancestors
Oh home why reject those who call you home
Why stab those who show you love
And she was raped by a gang of five
Raped
Where she called home
Raped
After crossing oceans and seas to home
Raped
When she came to what she called home
Raped …
But which between America and Africa is home
Which between worlds divided by seas is home
When anyone can be raped within and without home
As worlds dovetails into worlds
As oceans breaches lands, bridges borders, breaches rights
But what are rights when they can be breached
But where really is home
When home keeps moving houses
Where really is home
When home has no fixed address
Yes home later turned out not to be home
Showed a difference face
Bared its fangs
As she was gangraped and left in the lurch
The lady of love with so much love
But where really is home
When home has no fixed address
That lady of love with so much love
That lady of love in dire need of love
The lady of love
Who returned home and became homeless
And left to be drenched in the rain
Seeking love that wasn’t there
Still, where really is home
When home has no fixed address?
Nehru Odeh, journalist and writer is the author of The Patience of an Embattled Storyteller and writes for TheNE/PMNEWS.