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January 15th, 2026
Nigeria Poetry Contest #2 – First Place
by Taofeeqoh Oriyomi Aduke
My stomach hurts
and I can't make a big deal of it –
I am supposed to be used to it.
But who really gets used to pain?
I silently smile, walk, listen, work –
drag myself through the day,
hoping someone notices, gives me a break.
But no one cares till you cry out,
or bleed in plain sight.
My endometrium sheds,
blaming me for not finding a partner
for my egg to tango with.
As if childbirth or pregnancy were easy –
No phase of womanhood is.
Even menopause –
Men can't fathom the heat rush –
it's no picnic.
I could say men have it easy
but we each carry our hidden burdens.
Still, let's admit – women bear more.
Puberty. Menstruation. Pregnancy. Childbirth. Menopause.
Five seasons of a cycle unending,
each one with a need for a new leash
to tame wild emotions,
but we can never find a leash strong enough.
If we're not wrangling pain,
we're wrestling feelings –
running from rage, fleeting calm,
looking for a leash strong enough
to hold our heart in place,
while we find our place in the world.
I have no grand advice –
We can't spend our whole lives searching for the perfect leash.
Don't try to tie it all down –
That's an illusion.
Learn to recognize it.
It's part of our femininity.
We only try to leash the things
we're too afraid to acknowledge.
About the Poet
Taofeeqoh Oriyomi Aduke resides in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications
on Taofeeqoh Oriyomi Aduke's Artist Page.
This poem is featured in Comet #7, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Keywords: women's inner strength, menstrual pain, emotional labor, navigating womanhood, resilience, femininity
Previously published in Nigeria Poetry Magazine:
Please Let Me Be Me
by Aisha Sideeqoh Kuti
Nigeria Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
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