Living in a woman’s body: Mama’s War – an original poem

In her latest work, the South African actor and writer Lebogang Mashile tackles the exploitation and sexism faced by Black women

Mama's War

Mama's gone viral
Mama's screen shuffles faster
Than hashtags invented by Black women
Who turn tech into culture daily
Boardrooms and bedrooms are battlefields
What's today's share price for Mama
Mama's the only profitable stock
Mama's baby is five years old, mining coltan in Congo
Mama's foster children's root chakras never healed
Mama's who George Floyd called out to
When home is a dangerous place
How does Mama lockdown?