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.
