This One

This One by Angel Uwamahoro

For my dear friend and sister: Natty!

This one is not to be 

read out loud,

This one you will read

with your hand covered,

over your mouth-

incase you wish to utter a sound-

This one is to be silenced 

like incest rape-

destroyed like Janet jackson’s sex tape

and the innocent girl’s blood

on the white drapes.

this one, is to be hidden

this one is to be forbidden.

For it brings on grown men shame-

It tells their names.

This one is to be banned 

to be presented in crowds-

This one is to have no applaud-

This one is to be silenced like the awkward 

conversation of unpaid rent- 

this one is a threat-

This one is to be denied 

like the girl you said you never met

yet-

you slept with her for days and days

over and over again

nights and nights-

This one will cause fights-

Behind bedroom doors-

He said he didn’t but you know he did-

And your best friend can’t look at you the same anymore-

This one-

This one I shouldn’t have written-

This one is heart splittin’

This one they use for juju-

It’s bad luck to listen to-

this one is politically incorrect-

this one won’t save you even with 

auto correct-

this  one won't go viral on the internet-

This one 

they will say is corrupt-

it will disrupt populations 

this one will tear down nations

this one should be hidden in pandora’s box-

this one will make a Rasta so sad he’ll cut off his locks-

santa will take off his socks-

wall street give up their stocks-

electricity give up its shock-

clock keep its ticks, and give up its tocks,

bullies give up their mock-

rapists cut off their cocks-

thugs give up their blocks-

yo- this one?

wins no medal- 

deserves no prize-

this one is a bad surprise-

somebody will get in trouble for this one…

Young girls in the night

scared with no light

I write for them- this one

Grown men in the night

meant to be protectors

turned into predators 

i wrote for you- this one-

He bashes her head on the wall-

her body falls

young girl- i write for you this one-

you try to stand tall but he is taller-

you try to call- but if you even speak 

he’ll slaughter your throat-

this one i wrote-

so that men could hate men-

so that instead of feeling proud 

they could hate themselves-

this one i wrote-

so that hearts could break-

guilty! this one I wrote not to give-

happiness- but to take…it… away…

This one i wrote with tears rolling down my cheek

for the girl who couldn't speak-

so that she knows theres someone on stage 

screaming with rage- for her-

coz that’s all i can do-

this one i wrote with rage- page 

after page-like a helpless prisoner with

a pen and pad in his cage-

This one is a good excuse for you to get up 

right about now and

 go change your babies nappy-

snappy-

this one some of you might think is 

crappy-

but i don’t give a damn-

this one isn’t for you fam-

this one has no order-

this one crosses borders 

subjects- got you thinkin-

whats she gonna say next-

I can jump from rape 

to racism on this one 

if i want to fam-

this one is also for the innocent black man-

who falls victim to the white police man

as they go bambam-

this one needs no applause-

this one is for no particular cause-

but for all of them-

for all the movements 

that are fighting

for something

for the powerless-

for the speechless-

for the handicap-

for the depressed-

for the hopeless-

for the jobless-

for the homeless-

for all of you who stress-

all the damn time-

this one is for you- this one time-

This one is to expose 

the men in power taking 

advantage of girls hour after hour,

for the bosses, the pastors and priests

who act holier than thou-

but wouldn't mind eating you out-

If you gave them a chance-

To get in your pants...

for land lords,

fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, 

grown ass men who pretend-

like they don’t know what its like to 

love their daughters-

this one-

might take me to jail…

this one-

i might not get money 

to get me out on bail-

But this one isn't for sale!

you can’t stop me from 

saying this one-

son-

coz I’m done-

with this one…..

By: Angel Uwamahoro

Performing "This one" by Angel Uwamahoro-Photo Credit: Gael Vande Weghe at Spoken Word Rwanda