Do you see that woman over there
talking with her male colleague?
She’s wearing red lipstick
and a knee length skirt
looking pretty, wind twirling her hair
around bare shoulders
because it is warm outside
and a blazer would make her
h o t

Do you see that woman over there?
She’s sitting in court, legs crossed
charged with driving under the influence
she’s getting her licence taken away
she cries one tear
bows her head when returning
home to her family, ashamed
but she’s
f r e e

But do you see that women over there?
She’s staring in the mirror
at a face she hardly sees.
It’s 31 degrees in October
but the sun will never touch her skin
and if it does she’ll be dragged
by her hair through the streets
through the streets
leaving a trail of blood
on the ground
before she’s
s t o n e d

And do you see that woman over there?
she’s fallen in love with a man
english, smart and patient
she wants to leave her home
she wants to be with him
but her father dictates
‘the answer is firmly no’
and if she disputes she’ll be dragged
by her hair
through the streets
leaving a trail of blood
on the ground
before she’s
k i l l e d

*note: all art by Henn Kim; i chose photos that matched my poetry so if you can see the significance, that’s awesome