From The Grave: An Open Letter Poem by Sinomhlobo Marwanqa

Remember me tonight before you fall asleep
Earlier tonight I held my breath
Patiently waiting for you to fall for me
Instead of falling into your support
I fell on the floor
On the floor I embraced your feet
And watched you embrace her in my kitchen
While you kicked me while I was down
While you poured salt into an open wound
On that floor,
Those hands that used to wipe my tears now strangle me
The lips that used to kiss me now curse me
The feet that used to accompany me now kick me
The knife that cut our anniversary cake is now cutting my throat
Then you gazed at me and blew me a kiss
Foolishly this brought a smile to my face
And hope to that hidden place
Little did I know that my smile would welcome his spit
As it landed on my forehead and went down from my forehead, to my cheek and to my chin
The humiliation
Physically bruised
Emotionally bruised and spiritually non existant

I used my last breath
Telling my children to take care of themselves
I dont want you to take care of them like you took care of me
For like me, they too would go to heaven

Cause of death was stress.. He gloated over my grave
Yes to him it was the stress that emotionally depleted me
Stress that physically broke me down
And stress that mentally violated me.
It was stress for him
For I was too much of a great woman for him..
I deserved better.