Beneath My Skin

By Sagarika Das

Sometimes this place doesn't feel like home,

Maybe there's something wrong.

Or maybe I just don't belong.

Because my body doesn't define who I am,

My face doesn't just show how pretty I am,

My smile shouldn't be the measure of happiness but polite,

My walk shouldn't be the victim of words on road,

My hands weren't meant to beg for you to stop,

And having a vagina wasn't meant for me,

To become a victim of your abuse,

Because beneath my skin I'm so much more.

I'm a daughter and I'm a sister,

A friend and woman of the society of ours,

I'm more than just my gender,

I'm more than your sexual fantasy doll,

I'm more, oh so much more.

I'm like a goddess of our society,

A way to heaven written in our holy book of Quran,

But above all, I'm just human-like all others.

But maybe there's something wrong,

Or maybe I just don't belong.

Because this place doesn't feel like home.

By Sagarika Das