Innocence

Innocent they say,
Is what I’m meant to be.
The grass is green and the skies are blue,
All that you tell me, I accept is true…
If it’s otherwise, I don’t have a clue!

Innocence they say,
In me, they promise to protect.
The gates to the house have guards,
The doors open with electronic cards.
These and more gadgets are usual family fads.

Innocent they say,
As I bloom within my adolescent years…
The swaying walk patterns and curves appear…
I can no longer sit legs akimbo or walk bare,
Now some older men tremble and young men stand and stare.

Innocence they say,
From the young should not be snatched,
By the many worries that plague the land.
Or unwittingly by Parents, who fail to understand,
That I don’t require life’s pleasures, to be so grand.

Innocent they say,
And constantly reminded, I must remain…
A cultured young lady prim and proper,
To care for others, and to make supper…
I wasn’t purposed to be just a show stopper.

Innocence they say,
Like the white lily, is chaste and pure.
From generations till now, these standards,
drummed in our heads, so we don’t birth bastards,
That roam the streets as well as our yards.

Innocent  they say,
In verbose propaganda and lofty pamphlets I see,
But lipservice to my plight they pay.
They don’t fulfil pledges to keep predators away,
Nor do they stop them from making me their prey.

Innocence they say,
In the young, untarnished it must remain.
In me, with all they have, they would guard,
But, here I am raising my voice and lifting up placards,
Fighting for rights on my own, isn’t it sad?

I’m one of the Innocent and you’ll permit me to say,
You let us down, made us rot and let our standards decay.
As you can see, a hard price society has started to pay,
For allowing our innocent’s innocence be stolen away!


©️Ayo Jaiyesimi 2022