She Ruled Lagos from Her Bed by Toyosi Salami

She Ruled Lagos From Her Bed

three days of the week

Precious mourns her little sister

the one who passed far too early

the one who couldn’t make it

to the hospital, in time

every Sunday, Precious must

get on her knees and pray

for her family that

disowned her

and her mother,

especially

her family says she is a “disgrace”

and “they don’t claim her”

Precious is hurting but

Precious cannot afford to hurt

too much, because

time is Precious

and Precious is time

so Precious must gather herself,

still heavily soaked

in last night’s sadness

she must wipe the left over tears

she must paint her lips red

she must lay the bed

with soft cotton

and wear a beautiful silk cloth

precious must pat the bed lightly

as she expects her beloved customers

after all, we only do what we know best

Omotoyosi Salami is a young feminist and writer living in Lagos, Nigeria. She loves to read, write, and meditate. She can be reached on Twitter @toyosithequeen.