Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Thursday, 1 December 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
ByThiruAbeywardena
It's women's day
today, they say.
But I am who I am...
every day.
Did they tell me
how to be a girl?
Did they tell me
to dip and twirl?
to knit and purl?
of diamonds and pearls?
Did they tell me
how to be a woman?
Did they tell me
"enough enthusiasm"?
to tame my passion?
Save it for confessional
And just be rational?
I missed the memo
and skipped the demo
but wrote my own,
home grown,
down to the bone.
"Don't do that,
don't do this;
be proper; Miss Priss.
Pep up, buck up,
don't muck up!
Buckle up
and just grow up!"
They said no;
I said yes.
What did they miss
In this thesis?
Happiness. Bliss.
Strength, free will-
to be dynamic or to be still.
Anger, sadness
kindness, tears.
Love, lust
rage and fears.
Desperation and desire;
devastation and despair.
Education, rejuvenation,
celebration, jubilation...
Emancipation
from persecution.
Woman = human.
It's women's day
today, they say.
But I am who I am
every day.
(This poem is written to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, a global campaign taking place from 25 November to 10 December. It was written by a member of the Kavithé Collective – a platform for socially and politically engaged writing by Sri Lankans across the world. For more information visit www.kavithecollective.com. Submit your own creative writing to [email protected].)
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