A Woman's Virtue Poem by Anitah Muwanguzi

Toe length skirt­­­­? Veiled head?

Meekness? Downcast eyes?

Silence when addressed? ? ? ?

What determines the virtue of a woman?



Wait a minute

Could it be? Could it really be turning the other cheek?

Or does it mean feeding on insults?

Does it require one to be a permanent punching bag?

Suffering in silence?

Is that it?



Does it mean clinging to a man for recognition, meaning and

security?

Who determines a woman’s virtue?

Does it mean carrying twice the load and not getting recognition

for it?

Does it mean spreading your legs to feed your family?

Or does it mean endless guilt trips because you have failed to fit

the mold?



And yet there’s so much more to being a woman………………………….


But a woman’s accomplishments are something to be frowned upon

Seen as a desperate attempt to get attention, or grieve the

certified bread winner

Her sensitivity seen as weakness, unprofessional.



The virtue of a woman is her noble heart

In Her ability to spin dry grass into gold

To look beyond a lifetime of faults and heartaches

To forgive when she is abused and belittled

To remain standing even when the carpet is swept from under her

feet

That is the virtue of a woman

Not all that socially constructed bullshit

That only abuses the true essence of the woman