By Ishwari Dande
Oh to be a woman in today's world,
A myriad of tasks before the sun,
Her wings clipped, her dreams buried,
For duty speaks and she must run!
Oh to be a woman who does it all -
To run two homes, a life and a job,
To cook, to clean, to nurse and to guide,
To be the perfect mother, daughter, worker and wife...
Oh to be a woman in this man lead land,
Where love is duty, not delight,
Where no one cares to think and understand,
The cost of sleeping in peace each night!
Oh to be a woman - forever on call,
Smiling through storms, standing staunch,
They ask for more and still she complies,
But behind her back they all criticize...
Oh to be a woman, with her life defined,
By rules that chains and lines that bind,
She's been taught to keep her desires confined,
And bear all the weight while silencing her voice and mind!
Oh to be a woman, with her life at stake,
Her safety threatened at every step she takes,
The time she walks, the clothes she will wear,
Yet - she must change, while more than monsters roam unchecked...
What kind of society let's the victim bear the blame,
While the perpetrators walk with their head held high?
Where customs, power and dominance stake their claim,
And silence the truth behind each and every cry!
We live in a world that fails to feel a woman's pain,
Not fear but coldness keeps them, turning them blind,
Her voice, struggles and cries, are brushed aside like drops of rain,
Afraid to challenge power's cruel bind...
This is a call for every woman to pioneer change -
To raise her voice, to break free from these silent chains,
No dream too bold, no vision out of range,
Refuse to wear the past, like it's your bane!
So lift your chin and adjust your crown,
Remember, you are the sun behind the rain,
They cannot dim what won't stay down -
A woman's soul, her light, her flame...!