Skip to content
Raya Wambui

Raya Wambui

Creativity, recording current history

  • Home Uncategorized
  • How to heal. Poetry
  • The Dream Uncategorized
  • The Lie Poetry
  • Growing Up. Part 3. Poetry Journaling
  • Ashore Uncategorized
  • Pre Performance Hat Tricks for solo performances. Journaling
  • I’m Here Uncategorized

My Face

Posted on July 23, 2012 By rayawambui No Comments on My Face

My face has mountains

and Valleys, lush, life

giving terrain.

Seeds latent, waiting for rain.

 

You come to me, speaking

in languages that I don’t understand

until I feel them.

But those are just stories I hear.

 

First I must be silent inside.

 

We must slice, from my temple down.

On either side.

Take off my face completely.

 

My nose, you see…

May lead me, to like, to want, to anticipate and salivate

at the prospect of the pleasure of dancing.

This we don’t want.

 

My lips may form a channel of moisture that can contribute

to a miniature lake of

spent desire.

We don’t want that either.

 

The mouth; the greatest offender.

It may consent to be fed, to be watered.

Alow an intruder to climb in and till it.

Should I allow it?

That, we really don’t want.

 

I am a child, yes.

But what goes on in my mind, may blind me from morals

that should be enshrined

so cut out my mouth,

lest I feel inclined,

to speak freely,

words that are babies.

 

You see, my words,

are babies.

Either fully formed, or merely conceptual.

So cut out my mouth,

as regular childbirth is not enough of a hurdle.

Though, I’ve heard, the scar tissue may kill my first-born.

Or if I’m lucky, ensure that my colon is torn.

Cut out my mouth,

so my father can feel warm,

in the knowledge that he sired a true woman.

 

Remove my face from me

I should not see, I should not breathe.

Remove my face completely.

I should never have the chance to speak freely.

I have no value, as God made me, functionally,

responsive with flexibility.

To let mother nature have her way with my body,

would mean,

endless shame to my family.

 

So Please. Cut out my face.

 

So I can be…

Happy.

 

Related

Kenyan Mind, Poetry, Woman in the Two Thousands Tags:Culture, FGM, Health, human rights, Kenya, poetry, the girl child, Women Rights

Post navigation

Previous Post: With Open Eyes
Next Post: Fly

Related Posts

  • Wetu Kenyan Mind
  • This Big Kenyan Mind
  • Still Going Poetry
  • Njora’s Diani Beach Kenyan Mind
  • In Search Of Womanhood (I) Kenyan Mind
  • Resist Journaling

Comments (0) on “My Face”

  1. KenyanPoet (@Kenyanpoet) says:
    July 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    hi Raya, lovely poem. however, you have not indicated if you own copyrights to the Poem. You need to do that for every poem you post including your email address least you become a victim of copyright infringement or plagiarism.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives

  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • January 2020
  • September 2019
  • June 2019
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • November 2017
  • July 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • December 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • February 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • July 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012

Categories

  • Journaling
  • Kenyan Mind
  • Malindi Mentions
  • Poetry
  • Short Story
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Woman in the Two Thousands

Recent Posts

  • Then let the star be.
  • Dates
  • Still Going
  • How to heal.
  • Lessons From My Daughter

Recent Comments

  1. kantai on How to heal.
  2. thephenomwillrise on Lessons From My Daughter
  3. rayawambui on Lessons From My Daughter
  4. Yakumiko on Lessons From My Daughter
  5. Valerie Nyanaro on Lessons From My Daughter
  • Baba Kenyan Mind
  • Define And Conquer. Watch and Read. Kenyan Mind
  • In Search Of Womanhood (I) Kenyan Mind
  • Thats done now. Poetry
  • Growing Up. Part 3. Poetry Journaling
  • Fly Poetry
  • Pre Performance Hat Tricks for solo performances. Journaling
  • Stand up. Watch and Read Kenyan Mind

Copyright © 2023 Raya Wambui.

Powered by PressBook News Dark theme