You are bequeathed enough! Why do you thirst for more?
Egalitarian law implies equal by practice!
Why do you complain about the non-existent disparity?
You were ‘freed’ back in the medieval ages!
Then why does it haunt me so, this labyrinth of lies called equal opportunity
A word so loosely thrown around it covers less than a bride’s veil.
I met the world with unblemished optimism
Greeted people with exciting alacrity.
But all I was manifested with was what I could not do?
Not brilliant enough, not tough enough, not stable enough.
I broke free of the restraints now
But such was what shaped a young mind.
Life is in the little moments they say,
And I stop to think whether I have relished mine?
A journey, on an empty street
Conjures scenarios of not being alone,
Of villains who want to steal my innocence.
Vivid imaginations or hallucinations of the fears of reality?
A moment's peace to be alone with my thoughts
Must be too much to ask for.
After all, I was bore the divine difference,
I was tainted with the original sin you see.
Curves and the X chromosome, were natures imprisonment
And the suffocating crowds annihilated my privileges.
Unlimited confidence was an act of black magic
Wild and smoky desires: A Scarlet letter.
A prim and proper lady was required, A filtered life.
But sensual and exotic were desired, An object's life.
Couldn’t own my feminine side as emotions controlled me
And yet shadowing 'masculinity', fake reputations preceded me.
Always being told what to wear, what I could do.
What I’m not cut out for, What I’m meant to be.
Written at a tender age, my choice was
Stripping away options I did not know I had.
Exhausted listening to my griping?
Won’t compare to the weariness caused by the weight of your ignorance.
Equality was handed to me with terms and conditions,
That I did not have the capability to read.
Egalitarian law implied equal in words, it was true.
But we are not equally free of mind.
And so, I find myself asking once again.
Do I have freedom? Yes. Am I free? No.
Caroline Joseph is a 20-year-old living in the lively city of Bangalore, India. Currently pursuing a Btech degree in Computer Science Engineering, she gladly bides her time doing anything but working towards it :) At any point in time, you will find her dreaming new worlds and imagining impossible scenarios (both realistic and fantastical). Catch her on Instagram @carol.anne_75
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