My name is Helen Getachew

Dr.Suryaraju Mattimalla


“My name is Helen Getachew
Being an orphan is a sin.
I was born as a female.
It is more sinful to be born as a girl.
Being born poor is a sin.
Born with only one leg is a more heinous crime.
Being born in a poor country is a sin.
Being born black is a sin.
Raised in a loveless Catholic convent
Raised by loveless Catholic nuns
I raised without care
Namesake Catholic convent
No nun loves us.
No nun is concerned about us.
Nobody loves us.
I don’t know whether
Whether Jesus is a living God or not
But his followers are cruel.
Every animal is looking to me for food.
When I was 12 years old,
One animal called me to his home at 5 a.m.
He promised to give me five birr at 5 a.m.
I trusted him.
I trusted his cross.
I believed him.
I wish to feed my fellow orphans.
Using the five birr
Without knowing his lustful eyes
I went to his home.
I am standing in front of his house innocently.
He dragged me into his home.
He is in me all day.
I lost my consciousness in front of his might.
I lost my energy to escape from that huge animal.
He raped me several times until he lost his energy.
I lost my consciousness.
I am in my Catholic hostel.
I don’t know who brought me to my room.
I'm not sure how I ended up at my convent.
None of my Catholic nuns cared for me.
None of my Catholic nuns asked me
What happened to me?
Simply, they don’t care for female children in their convent.
I never leave my fellow orphans.
I lost my virginity at the age of 12.
Continual bleeding
But none of my Catholic nuns care.
They are only concerned with their lavish food, sex, meat, and beauty.
I lost my virginity
That animal destroyed my dreams to become a doctor.
Every animal is same
When they see an orphan girl,
Many animals enjoyed my body.
I'm addicted to drugs and drinks.
When I reached eighteen
None of the Catholic convents are willing to accept me
With my leukemia and tuberculosis diseases,
Every nun is scared of my TB and lever infections.
They imprisoned me in their room.
They isolated me.
They made me untouchable.
They made me unapproachable.
They made me unseeable
They made me unshadowable.
It is against Jesus' philosophy.
I met a guy.
He loved me.
I fight him everyday
We separated
I have a baby.
I met and met again.
Everyone wants my body.
Even though
Even though
I am a lever-infected patient.
Even though
I am a one-legged girl
They want my body.
My health is not cooperating.
My TB is killing me.
My lever infecting is killing me
I want to live for my children.
I want to live for them.
I want help.
I want to survive.
Like the way I survived after that rape.
As if I were battling tuberculosis
like I am fighting with my lever
As if I were fighting against my poverty.
Like I am walking with one leg
Nobody there to support me
I want your support.
I want your help.
Help me to live”

  • Authors: Dr.Suryaraju Mattimalla
  • Visible: All lines
  • Finished: January 11th, 2023 09:30
  • Limit: 6 stanzas
  • Invited: Friends (users on his/her list of friends can participate)
  • Comment from author about the poem: I am dedicating this write-up to my Ethiopian rape victim, an orphan, a lever, a tuberculosis patient, mother of two, and a one-legged Helen Getachew. Dear All, Please help an Ethiopian rape victim, an orphan, a lever, a tuberculosis patient, mother of two, and a one-legged Helen Getachew. Her Direct Contact details: phone (WhatsApp, IMO +251 93 354 2156) Email: getachew919@gmail.com Eyoha Media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uJkWWUiUyM&t=1295s
  • Category: Unclassified
  • Views: 28
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Comments1

  • marina

    How should i participate?

    • Dr.Suryaraju Mattimalla

      Dear Marina,
      Thank you for your query.
      Actually, I am not a poet in the sense of mainstream definition of poetry but I have been a campaigner for human rights and LGBTQ rights. I write shit poems according to many here so participating in my shit poems does not satisfy mainstream poets whose theme has never been sub-subaltern/persecuted or oppressed centric but senseless, lifeless, human less, beauty, aestetics etc
      Thank you
      Kind regards
      Dr.Surayraju Mattimalla(he/they)



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