Every Day

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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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.