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Quietly Loud
Creative Writer | History Student | Learning People and Processes @ Lagos State University
"Not Just Weight, The Silent Wounds Of Body Shaming"
<p>For Mama Precious compound, children dey play, </p><p>but na the wahala wey dey fly for their mouth dey loud pass their laughter. </p><p>“See her yam leg!” one pikin shout. </p><p>Another one laugh, “Him nose bend like spoon.” </p><p>Dem dey laugh no be because e funny, </p><p>but because nobody don tell dem say words fit wound pass slap.</p><p><br/></p><p>Tife waka pass the mango tree, her scarf tie tight wella</p><p>no be because of sun, </p><p>but make her ear no show. </p><p>Aunty don tell her before say, “You sure say na ear be this or satellite?” </p><p>Chinedu just dey keep quiet for class roll call, </p><p>him dey pray make teacher jump him name. </p><p>Why? Dem dey always talk say him voice “be like woman own.”</p><p><br/></p><p>Inside many African houses, </p><p>we sabi how to chop better food, </p><p>but we no sabi mind our mouth. </p><p>“You too black.” </p><p>“Your eye dey sleep?” </p><p>“See your hand don shrink finish.” </p><p>We dey drop all these insults like groundnut for veranda</p><p>so easy, </p><p>so casual, </p><p>but e dey cut deep.</p><p><br/></p><p>Dem go talk, “Na joke I dey joke, no vex.” </p><p>But when joke don turn wound, who go treat am? </p><p>We dey praise strong mind,</p><p>but we dey forget say even strong tree fit bend when wind blow too much. </p><p>So I dey ask, </p><p>Na so we go dey live? </p><p>We go continue dey use joke kill person self-esteem?</p><p><br/></p><p>Dem teach us say make we endure, </p><p>As African person we be,</p><p>we no suppose cry. </p><p>But even lion dey feel pain. </p><p>We no go begin tell ourselves truth? </p><p>Say body shaming no be culture na cruelty dressed like tradition.</p><p><br/></p><p>This story na for Tife, </p><p>na for Chinedu, </p><p>na for the girl wey her lips “too big,” </p><p>and for the boy wey dem dey yab say him leg bend. </p><p>Na for all the people wey dem don tell say dem body no good enough.</p><p><br/></p><p>So today, I shout am loud </p><p>"BODY NA BODY." </p><p>"FACE NA FACE." </p><p>Beauty no get one shape or one colour. </p><p>Na many ways e dey shine.</p><p><br/></p><p>Make we stop to laugh when we suppose listen. </p><p>Make we stop to wound when we suppose hug.</p><p><br/></p><p>Say no to body shaming. </p><p>Say yes to love wey loud and clear. </p><p>See people well. Hear dem well. Feel dem well.</p><p><br/></p><p>"Let this be more than story, let it be a mirror. So when next you wan talk, look am well. Because word no be stone, but e fit break heart."</p>
"Not Just Weight, The Silent Wounds Of Body Sha...
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