The Hidden Agenda Poem by Kenneth Maswabi

Hiding sorrow
She cried in silence
Her scars too thick to heal
She hid inside her loneliness
There is no one to share her story with
Because the monster she is hiding from is her own husband
Her society is harbouring a string of similar stories
Women all across the world are facing such terrifying ordeals
Face to face with terror, hidden from view
The origin of this hidden agenda is unknown
The manuscript of this crime is horrendous
Gender-based violence is a scourge beyond one woman
Its venom is paralyzing women across the global village
Its sting has left many orphans
Women left their homes ajar
Fleeing has never been an option
But the pain is unbearable
Drugs and alcohol abuse cannot help
What can one woman do?
When all women are terrified
We cannot even begin to see the extent of their trauma
It is totally hidden from our eyes
Yet, it is found almost in every home
This is a call for women and men
To lift the curtain of silence
And confront this monster
Let us all stop gender-based violence

©Kenneth Maswabi