children of shame

"at thirteen
my twin brother still
wet the bed
every sunday school
he was made to kneel in the middle of the class
someone told my parents this would make him stop”

“when my aunty found the love letter
i  wrote a boy in church
stuck in the pages of the sacred songs and solos hymn book
she glued it to my forehead
and called me ashawo kobo-kobo”

“when my neighbours’ daughter fell pregnant
they took the girl to demon exorcists
living in the thatch house down the street
they beat the girl with many stripes
how they beat her!
shouting,  ‘out! you wayward spirit, out!’ "