Eve Poem by Mpimanyeto Mashimbye

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Sinner
Queen
Mother
Prostitute
Very scary

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Forbidden fruit
Beautiful fruit
Barren fruit trees
And
Miracle seeds

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Black skin
Street corner
Dirty brown hair

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Scorching sun
Baking concrete
Bare feet

Stained towel
Bruised spirit
Homeless
Single mother

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Empty breast
Starving baby
Crying mother

Red robot
White Mercedes
Brown coins rattling in dry cup
Engine humming
Radio
Rihanna
Rihanna

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Green robot
No Mercedes
Brown coins dry cup
Prayer
Prayer

Mothers laugh
Crooked smile
Baby's fed

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary


She sits on street corners
She works minimum wage jobs
She cleans your kitchens and waters your gardens

Her children
Her children
All to feed her children
It's no coincidence that the word martyr rhymes with mother

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Her hand on the bible in churches with paintings of white Jesus

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

What good are your stories to her now?

Eve, Adam said it was you.

Sara, Abraham resented you because he couldn't have children.

Esther, Xerxes sought after you for your beauty and nothing more.

Mary, immaculate conception without your consent.

Mary, sold your body, sold your body because the world gave you no options.

Eve
Sara
Esther
Mary
Mary

Sinner
Queen
Mother
Prostitute
Very
Scary