The Tale Of Broken Women

We often wonder what it is to be women,
to be good women, to be considered as such
Does one have to be innocent, coy,
and understanding or is it all a ploy?

They say to understand silently is to be a good woman,
They say support your beloved but for yourself, seek none
They say your love should be unconditional,
but as for theirs, conditions will apply
And that’s how it is, so don’t ask why.

They say it’s normal to be treated differently,
especially when cruelty is tendered so, so gently
They say it’s bad to be selfish, or to care just for your dreams
‘cos good women owe allegiance only to others’ ambitions and whims

Women who have crinkled eyebrows
Women whose innocence have been robbed
Women who were once loving and gentle
but are now looking daggers at the world
as bereft of life, all they have left is their gold.

Then they realise the gold they’ve earned is theirs to keep
So they dust themselves off, smile bright and bury them deep.

Ridden from the vapid, they let themselves be
Cut away from the world and its silly expectation,
threw the flowers away from their hairs and set them free
They drank wine to merry and smile with glee.
After years of sleep, at last they feel widely woken
for they finally reclaimed the women who are called ‘broken’.

Published here first.

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Image source: Still from Marriage Short Film WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, Content Ka Keeda via YouTube 

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