Torera Adesina: Behind the smile (30 Days, 30 Voices)

He smiles to draw attention away from his shabby clothes

Away from the sorrow you can see in his eyes

 

She lights up the world with her smile

Makes sure it’s felt from a thousand miles

He’s always happy, always cheerful

When someone’s like that, best be fearful

 

Her smiles don’t mean she doesn’t feel pain

There are a lot of things she’s trying to feign

She smiles to cover up the bruises on her back

From a father who delights pleasure in hitting

She smiles to cover up her oh so numerous lacks

And the fact that her mother encourages those beatings

 

He smiles to draw attention away from his shabby clothes

Away from the sorrow you can see in his eyes

Away from the fact that she secretly loathes

The uncle that rapes her every night

 

Her smile hides the hate you can feel around her

Hides the hate she feels for most ‘sir’s

It hides the torture he goes through every time

Someone says something that makes his teeth grind

Someone says something like ‘I wish I could kill them’

 

Because he watched his brother get murdered by men

She saw her sister get burnt by her mama

Cause she was pretty with nice manners

You can’t see that he feels a lot of sadness

Instead he smiles to pretend there’s gladness

 

A million things can be hidden in the river Nile

Just as a million things are hidden behind the smile

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30 Days 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians to share their stories and experiences with other young Nigerians, within our borders and beyond, to inspire and motivate them.

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail