PLIGHT OF THE BARREN 2

Eno Sekyere sits on a stool in front of her room
In the compound house whose very foundation
Are watching her with its hind eyes
Waiting for a mistake to slap her

II
Akuaba, her co-tenant’s daughter
And Mamle, a neighbour’s daughter
Are entangled in a brutal fight
By a coal pot
So Eno swoops in like a separating Samaritan
Tearing them off eachother
Before she barely manages to catch her breath
Akuaba’s mother jumps in
Looks at the fingernail scratches on her daughter
Claps for all to come and see
The hawk in Eno Sekyere
Wanting to catch and kill her ward in broad daylight
Because she is jealous of her womb’s fruit

III
And so they come in their groups
Clapping and taunting
Pushing and pulling
Cursing and praying
…on her
As her clothes come off
And her headgear falls
Shaming her for community eyes to record and replay
…at their community centre
For all who miss to get the chance to watch her shame
…through the eyes of hawking gossips

IV
Eno struts into her room and comes not out
Until her husband comes from work
Goes in and sees her hanged on their fan
Blessing their hate service with her corpse
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © September 11, 2020