He Killed Me First

By Vanshika Gupta

And when

the God of Death

finally arrives,

I’ll tell him

about you.

A man who is strong enough

to not let his barriers fall.

He’s built all his life,

frustrating

and raging

and thrashing,

constructing the castle

of patriarchy.

I’ll illuminate him

about your power

to destroy anything

you don’t understand.

Damaged bodies and minds,

together.

I’ll reveal to him

your obsessions—

a man who drinks

for all the responsibilities

he thinks he has.

A man who drinks

and rapes.

I’ll tell

about the wolf in you—

ravenous,

leaving nothing

but bones,

and sometimes

not even

that.

I’ll tell

the God of Death,

he’s too late;

because

it was

you

who

killed me first.

By Vanshika Gupta