Alcoholism and Gender Based Violence

In 2018, a couple of us creative writers known as the WRN(Writer’s & Readers’ Network) decided to contribute our quota to advocating for a society rid of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

This year, we have taken the advocacy a notch higher by organising a meet up session, WhatsApp sessions with experts, creating short features all centred on discovering what Gender Based Violence really is about et al.

The Big Yellow Post is the vehicle we are employing to fight vehemently to eradicate the canker of violence against both genders and we are participating in the #16daysofActivism by making noise about violence and how it shreds us apart as a people.

Below, you’ll find a poem I wrote about how alcoholism plays an enormous role in the emergence and growth of Gender Based Violence in our societies. This was in preparation for a Health session on Alcoholism.

The writing prompt was Finding the Bottle .

Brute!

That was the new name she bestowed on me

Only I prefer being referred to as a chip of the old block

With heavy blows way effective than bullets from a glock.

You think this was how I was?

Fun fact – I used to despise my father

For habitually laying hands on mother

So much her face bore the trademark of pain

With countless scars the size of rain

Her legs, the home of anger and abuse

With no escape route

Until death befriended her.

Really? How many of you get the honor

Of living the true legacy of your fathers?

Without shame despite the infamy?

Like the staunch religious fellow, I pay respect to the bottle

Every morning when the sun rises

And when it sets.

Power, the gift I inherited from this bottle

After it found me or rather did I find it?

When I walked the untarred road daily to purchase

Alcohol for father and one day experimented

And found love that father never gave.

The power to subdue my wife and love her

Authority to scare my children away

Hell, they have enormous demands!

No one can take such power away from me

Unless the spell of the bottle is broken.

It gives me something to keep,

Something to call mine.

Occasionally, during the hours when I’m sober –

The noise in my head ceases

And I crave to find an escape route

Out of this life – that somehow I know torments.

Except the manufacturer of the contents of the bottle

Didn’t provide instructions on how to break free.

Hence, forgive me while you can

For having the courage to live the legacy of father!

Support the campaign by following us on our various social media handles:

Twitter

Instagram

WordPress: The Big Yellow Post

You’ll find more of our works when you visit the blog. Also, leave a comment and tell us how you think you (we) can contribute further to eradicating Gender Based Violence in our corner, one small place at a time!

Thank you!!!!