Militia Men

(1)


Her body, ravished and torn,
Repeatedly violated by militia men,
One after the other.
They thought not of their mother,
whom she could have been.
War can bring out the worst
in some men.
While some turn their heads,
ignore unwarranted atrocities
inflicted on families -
especially women and children.

(2)

Her body, bloated with child,
and without knowledge of the father,
she thought, why bother giving birth to it;
surely, other women felt the same,
though no fault of their own,
struggled with collective shame,
to accept or disown,
a child not of their choice,
no reason to rejoice.

The stigma the child would bare,
often crossed her mind.
would he know or care
that life has not been fair.

(3)

She cuddles her child in protective arms,
determined to keep him safe,
sacrificing her needs to ensure,
he won't become a waif.
She prays far into the night
that when her son becomes a men,
regardless of the wars he'll fight,
he'll respect the role of women.