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Srishti-2022   >>  Poem - English   >>  When you were born a Girl...

Annu George

TCS

When you were born a Girl...

There are things you were told
when you were born a girl,
things you thought 
you were meant to follow,
So you grow up learning
 to be enough to suit someone's taste-
vocal enough,
Smart enough,
Sensitive enough,
Capable enough,
Late enough,
Early enough
You grow up bounded by a set of enough's
that you think that is who you are supposed to be,
Enough!!
 
Then you grow a little more,
start realising the traps,
The lines starts to blur,
and you could no longer see the borders 
You start crossing the boundaries,
start asking questions,
You start being loud, 
a bit more smarter than enough,
And then,
 people call you names,
call you out for your arrogance,
your sensitivity, your nerve to 
wake up later than 6.
They call you out for being more 
than what they wanted you to be,
 
Then you take it a step further,
You start writing about how you deserve better,
You offend people-friends in a way 
you never thought you could.
They tell you how nobody is stopping you and still judge you,
They ask you to have faith in the world,
They tell you that you are really free,
And yet you find them blaming it on the girl,
in love, heartbreaks and rapes.
They tell you how they are all for women empowerment, how you have their support and respect,
Yet you see them in random comment sections and DM's lamenting or mocking,
angry or restless,
And you realise none of it was true.
 
Some break out of the bubble easy,
Some struggle trying to get out,
Some spend time learning and unlearning,
Some to find a solid ground to stand tall
And some are still trapped,
calling it choices,
naming it happiness.
And I wonder where you are?
Out the bubble,
Butt in and head out
Or
Are you 'in' still?