Rusangano Family Isn't Dinner Nice Lyrics

[Poetry] – Denise Chaila
I have promised myself that the only time I will ever allow myself to be seen and not heard is when I am leading by example
And I am screaming until my voice bleeds
Because
I know what it's like not to have one
I am screaming for the woman with acid burns on her face because if I can't have you nobody can
Yes ALL women
But no you DON'T understand
Until you wonder if
It's your fault cause you smiled at him
And I know he touched you
But how many drinks did you have?
Why did you wear that skirt?
Sure, He's only a man
So I'm screaming for the seven-year-old girl getting ready for her wedding night
Right now
For the teenage boy on Twitter learning to substitute the word Woman
With four letter words in his vocabulary
Because Bill Cosby is not an anomaly
Doctor Huxtable is a fictional character
And Jekyll has been known to Hyde
So a year down the line
We're still singing/seeing blurred lines Because it took 25 women for the world to listen one time
Because the only thing he needed to do to get those pictures from you at thirteen
Was tell you that you were beautiful
Because
The only thing he needed to do when you were too afraid to go all the way
Was call you one of three four letter words
And let the grape vine have its say
Because
In vino veritas
And you are too used to secrets
Too used to shrinking
Because sometimes cat calls come with a car stalking you home in your uniform
Because you're "old enough"
Because boys will be boys and he's never met a girl who wasn't dangerous
Because I know too many women
Who learned how to hold a secret inside of them
Before they were seven
Hold it over and over again, and learn not to cry when they passed the rice that night
Look their demons in the eye
And say isn't dinner nice?
Isn't it so nice?
Isn't it...
Nice?

END