Hi my name is Mary
They said I had seven devils
I can tell you what those were
There was the devil of oppression,
the demon of sexual abuse,
the demon of stolen children,
the demon of exploitation,
the demon of poverty,
the demon of domestic violence,
and the demon of, ‘Your less than.’
I was less than a man.
I was less than another woman because I complained.
I was less because I was sick.
I was less than because I was childless now.
I was less than a field because it is more fertile than I.
I was less than a donkey because I couldn’t keep up.
I was less than so much.
The burden crushed me.
It tore at my very being.
It screamed in my head you’re less than your less than, you are less than
and you will never be more than that.
I couldn’t sleep.
People said I didn’t make sense when I spoke.
They shunned me.
They left me.
Then came one
who touched my pain and
found my centre and
gave me back control.
treated me with respect,
cared that I felt good,
told me I was valued,
showed me my children,
gave me kindness
and fed me,
saying, ‘You are precious to me.’
They crucified him for it.
by Hilary Evans
