She Was 22 Once

By Ashmi Patnaik

She looked into her mother’s eyes,

Only to find answers like shattered dreams and broken promises,

She felt the pains of bristling burns that scathed her soul,

And questioned those soft eyes,

Mother oh mother! Allay your thoughts,

Why didn’t you escape the gates of liberation?

She looked at my eyes with hopes and despair,

And spread out her emotions in order to teach me what’s fair.

At an age when I wanted to pursue my dreams,

They made me learn utensils and quit studies.

At an age of passion to earn my name

They followed the society to push me to the edge of my limits and destroyed my hard-earned fame.

At an age when other’s craved for family’s affection,

I was told to become someone’s persuasion.

At an age when playful and insouciant minds of girls were preached,

They insisted critics and taught me to behave like a girl should indeed.

At an age when allaying your thoughts made them raise well-intended concerns,

I was told to hide my veracity by wearing a face that forever smiled instead of dealing my apprehensions.

At an age when all my friends moved past my life,

But I was told to stop taking the flight.

At an age where home should feel like love and affection,

But I was treated with condescending aversion.

At an age where one should enjoy her freedom,

But I was sent to a stranger’s abode to bind my liberation to his kingdom.

And now when I delve onto my mother’s eyes,

Only to find answers like fierceness and pride,

For I witness a warrior that was borne inside,

I held her hands with credence and promises,

Mended her heart with strings of happiness,

For I knew that little girl inside her animate mould,

Ran as fast as she could to escape the terrors of her world.

By Ashmi Patnaik