Entitlement. His and Hers.

By Fattum Mutahr

He put her in a box,
the box went on a shelf…
he put her in a box,
to keep her to himself…

And in his room you’ll find,
this boy is never bored…
Boxes lined up on his shelf,
filled with pretty toys.

The box was cold and dark,
inside she felt alone,
But this was all she knew of love,
and so she called it home.

One day she climbed on out,
she fell right off the shelf,
She walked away and realized,
that she could love herself,

Cuts and bruises, faded scars,
still mark her from that fall
Marks of newfound beauty,
she didn’t mind at all.

He stopped by to check on her,
to grace her with his smile,
Emptiness inside that box
was all that he could find.

And in that moment, he woke up,
The boy just realized…
The toy he wanted most
was the one he could not find.

The boy was angry, he was hurt,
for he’d done nothing wrong,
He was always there for her,
he’d been there all along

He showed up when it mattered,
And that’s what mattered most.
He had a right to keep his toys,
At least that’s what he’d boast.

The girl met other boys,
and she met her share of men,
She basked in newfound dignity
and would never again,

Wait for a boy, in the dark…
in a box… on a shelf…
No, not this woman…
Not after meeting real men.

Fattum Mutahr is an industrial and systems engineer living in Detroit, Michigan. She spends her free time developing youth programs and volunteering to support initiatives that are targeted at nourishing neglected communties and at-risk youth.