Beating Poem by Abdalla Juma Shenga

The joy in her face slowly sets
As the sun dips and darkness awakes
Soon the big bull will arrive
Drunk and deadly he will announce
Her laughter will turn into wails
Her joy will escape her being

Mama Solo our neighbor
Mother of three works like a mule
She provides for her family
While the big bull grazes
Bar to bar boozing all day
And returns to beat the drum

Bull baba is a skilled drummer
He knows where it hurts
The poor woman screams
He makes her scream louder
Then it all stops and the rhythm changes
It is time for special kind of beating

Alas! The morning arrives
She is her smiling self again
You will almost think she fakes the pain
But the scars argue her case
It is the special beating that make her stay
The second beating brightens her day