I AM A WOMAN
Since time immemorial,
My earnest love has been immaterial;
Rewarded by physical and mental agony-
I’m often a victim of your lust and
aggression.
But expected to be at your service 24x7
If I have a voice, I’m a rebel;
A whore and no more noble -
I become an outcast;
For the outburst.
Yes, I’m a Woman;
But first, I’m a human!
In pain, I do groan.
I’m not a stone!
I quench to untangle myself and flee;
From the patriarchal web;
Where I’m not a daughter,
A wife or just a mother
I want to have an identity
And march forward, crushing the
insecurity!
SHE
She binds the family;
And weaves your dreams-
With love and care she teams,
Carries the future
Generation in her womb,
And bears the stings
To give your world wings-
She should be the queen
But many a time it is seen-
Her dreams are strangled;
Breath is sealed;
By lustful desires and treachery;
Trafficked for a few currencies,
Or turned to ashes for dowry-
The chariot of dawn
Awaits its turn;
To set a new goal,
And mash each rail
To rescue her from the regressive gaol;
Breaking the patriarchal latch
With its Midas touch-
BLACKOUT
The world is in a state of blackout;
As SHE steps out,
SHE is hovered by a dark cloud —
The voracious cannibals are camouflaged
with the crowd!
They pounce upon their prey in an
uncertain way;
Trample over the bud, snatching her
dignity,
Draw the untimely curtains,
And wrap her in the shroud of inhumanity!
I suffer from frequent blackouts,
In the whirl of these thoughts —
Rise, my countrymen;
O, my friends, be fearless;
Strive to save the WOMB
Each time SHE is periled by the goon.
Sunanda
Bhadra hails from
Kalyani, a small town in West Bengal, India. She is a post-graduate in English
Literature. For her writing is simple and spontaneous which flows straight from
the heart. Writing short stories and poems is her passion. She has contributed
her writings to many national and international anthologies and chapbooks.
