I am no woman without a hood - Fizza Abbas

one day I want to write a poem without imagery or metaphors. my raw truth. an acceptance

email with a smiley in the subject and we love you with the heart in the body. i will tattoo it

all over my body and be proud that i have attained mastery to body art. i will kiss my nails

for once for making me feel like a delicate filament that mama wanted to hide, say sorry for

wolfing down my skin. (don't laugh, you little pilgrims, i mean it).

mama says i am a bad liar. i once told her my pads are soaked with red water. she waxed

my pointy scalp and asked me to keep it to myself. good girls don't share dirty secrets. don't

read verses of Koran, she said. because god loves mothers but considers young girls a

surprise gift that he is too afraid to unwrap.

i don't have any dreams. i was never taught to look outside the window and feel the warmth

of fresh air. i can only smell food for my petite figure looks prettier when i cook meat and

rice for my husband. i am cold, fat meat, my husband jokingly says in front of his sleazy

friends who look at me as young child yelps at pasta. i feel like a cow who needs to ask

permission to feed her milk to the babies.

mama, can i ask you something? did you truly write me when i was in your womb or was i

your rejected manuscript?

Bio:

Fizza Abbas is a Freelance Content Writer based in Karachi, Pakistan. She is fond of poetry and music. Her works have been published on quite a few platforms including Poetry Village and Poetry Pacific.