The City’s Lost Innocence
written by: Saadatu Uzairu
My city is no longer a virgin,
No longer the decent girl she once was.
No longer wrapped in a burka of shame,
She hides nothing now.
She has grown vast,
Proudly lost her hymen.
She stands tall,
Facing the naked truth.
Who stole her dignity?
Who fortified her with anxiety?
Who led her through calamity,
Then denied her the shoes to walk through it?
Now she bleeds.
Now she has lost, yet fights to regain.
But a broken hymen cannot be mended—
It cannot be restored, reborn, or birthed anew.
She is bare.
She is unfolded.
She is left open, unclothed.
Listen—
Hear the whisper of her desires,
Her heart beating for fire,
Yearning to acquire and retire.
This is not the girl we once knew.
Not the mother we sought for shelter.
Not the shield we trusted—
For this fig circle is already insane,
A dazzling, chaotic gleam.
This is not our fate,
Not our hate,
Not our head.
Bring back her smiling days.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This poem is born from my deep connection to a city (Palestine) that once felt safe, sacred, and full of promise. Watching it transform scarred by conflict, stripped of its dignity has been heartbreaking. By personifying the city as a woman, I gave voice to her pain, her strength, and her yearning for rebirth. This piece is both a lament and a hopeful call to remember, to rebuild, and to reclaim what once was ours.
- The City’s Lost Innocence - May 28, 2025
