Circumcision is a rite of passage.
A man,
Once a boy,
Is now considered
a warrior.
A milestone forever imprinted
in his book
of life.
His sovereignty.
His pride.
~~~~~
Circumcision is mutilation.
A patchwork quilt,
Once a woman,
Is now sexually unappealing.
A brutish act
to prevent
temptation.
Her imprisonment.
Her shame.
Though these poems can be read as one poem, in which both poems mirror each other, I intended to make them two separate “free verse” poems. Free verse poems do not have a particular meter or specific rhyme scheme. These types of poems allow the author to write poems without any restriction. It was intentionally written this way since many cultures circumcise boys in order to transition them to adulthood and experience the freedom of pleasure with, like a free verse poem, no restriction.
On the contrary, the second poem is about female circumcision. If read alone, one may assume that it is a free verse, but it technically is not since it is mirroring the structure of the first poem. This reflects how female circumcision in certain cultures is seen as a way to free a woman from the temptation of desire. However, the consequence of female mutilation is that they are forever thwarted from having a healthy sex life and are subjected to chronic physical and emotional pain.
In essence, both men and women follow very similar cultural practices, as shown by the mirrored free verse structure. However, it appears that women are more or less signing up for a ritual that has little to no benefit. They are putting themselves at risk for bleeding, increased risk of infections, possible infertility, and/or newborn complications (if they can even get pregnant) – all of which are hidden under the barrier that this cultural practice was meant to only celebrate virginity.
My poem contrasts how the experiences of both boys and women are perceived differently. Let’s suppose that both boys and women have to suffer through equal levels of pain during their “ceremonial” passage. The pain the boy, now a man, had to endure is seen as courageous and brave – both to the audience and to the man himself. Yet, even if the pain is celebrated by others, the torment endured by a woman will always be seen as cruel and dehumanizing by herself. In the end, a woman is subjected to lifelong trauma while a man has the freedom to submit to his desires as he pleases.
Still, women should still have the autonomy to choose whether or not to follow their cultural traditions. It is the fact that there are women who do not get to have a voice in what they truly want that makes it an ethical issue.
