"Legal Rapist" Poem by Sheri Kuzco

'''My love, my husband, who after a tiresome day of work comes back home to his wife. He says he love me...
because most people don't know how tough
It is to create the perfect household for your family.
He opens the bedroom door and Im lying on the bed...
He walks over to me, He starts unbuttoning his shirt, taking off his tie, He looks at me. I get up to help.
I say no.
Im sorry for having cramps in my stomach.
But, its okay.
I'm sure he'll understand, because he says he loves me.
So I whisper into his ear the state my body is in.
He laughs it off and looks at me and he says,
"Ill manage something out."
I look at him and say
"There is nothing that needs to be managed, but my body is in no state to make any love to you."
He pushed me into the bed and jumps on me.
As if.. As if. Making love to him wasn't an option, but an obligation.
He says he loves me.
So it didn't matter what state my body was in.
I had to. It was my duty.
I hated this quality about my husband, he was really dominating both in bed and in the marriage.
But he slept early that night and I didnt.
Because it hurt…
But love hurts right?
So the next morning he wakes up and wants tea in bed… I request him to make the tea.
But he says no.
So I make the tea.
Because that also what love is about, right?
Understanding when your partner says no.
But my no had lesser value than his no.
And it's justified because he earns for the family and I don't.
But what happened last night,
Repeated tonight.
Marital Rape.
How could it be rape if we were married?
He said he loved me, but that wasnt true was it, becaue he hurt me.
But you could have said no to him when you felt unwell…
and you could have said no to him, because you just didn't want to.
So many many wives have been victim of marital rape for years... and so many young boys have been taught this crime as a ritual...
So many young daughter have been trained to fulfill their duties towards their spouses.'''
Simar Singh