African Birth


       In a distant village

       In a desolate place

       Not on a map

       In Zaire

       That the world hardly

       Even knows exists

       A 13 year old girl

       Who was married to

       Her husband in an

       Arranged marriage to

       An older cousin

       Who she met for the first

       Time on the day of her

       Wedding

       Goes into labor.

       After hours of pushing,

       And totally exhausted

       the head

       Of an unborn girl

       Is stuck hanging partially

       Out of her vagina.

       A donkey takes her in

       A cart to a road

       Where a random car

       Refuses to take her to

       A hospital.

      Two days later

       Baby now dead

       Its head still jutting

       Out partially between

       Her legs

       She finally arrives at

        A hospital with

        No electricity,

        no anesthetics,

        few medicines,

        and lines of desparate

        people waiting for

        an overwhelmed doctor.

        Eventually the baby

        Is expelled.

        And the girls insides

        Are ruined.  

        She can’t control

        Her bowels

        and pisses herself

        without control.

        Her husband divorces

        Her.

        She is shunned by the

        Village.  

        She hides in a hut.

        A witch doctor stuffs

        Potions into her pussy.

        Which never heals.             

        Her life is considered

        Over.

        She soon will be 14.