Tender buds sway carefree
Crooning amidst the verdant
Rejoicing in the tender caress
They are alive; they are free
They are home; they are safe
That’s how children should be
Free and safe
Loved and cared for, isn’t it?
But why am I not allowed to be free
Free to be who I am
Free to sing, free to dance
I am alive; yet unalive
My heart cries
Bleeding silent tears into oblivion
For there’s none to hear me
None to see me
Shackled by society
Bound by patriarchy
I scream to be free
I yearn to be me
I crave for a home filled with love
But the house is just walls, devoid of emotions
Never ending work, my sole friend
Sorrow and tears my loyal companions
The courtyard defines my boundaries
Norms seals my identity, drown my voice
Don’t speak, obey your elders
That’s all I hear, that’s all I do
Joyous cackles boom all around
Boisterous boys enjoying being alive
Let boys be boys, says my mother
Pointing to the kitchen needing my attention
How I wish to run and play
Pine to feel the wind in my hair
Be free for a moment
And feel alive for once
My mother’s hug is all I crave for
Her loving embrace is all I desire
She loves her sons with all her heart
But there’s no place, no solace for the daughter
So what if I am a girl
It isn’t my fault; it isn’t a curse
I long to be heard,
To be seen, to be felt
My desires are simple,
My dreams are few
But most of all, I yearn to write and read
The pen will become my savior, my voice, my identity
Then I will live
And be alive
Truly
For once