The world showed me its beauty, too precious to forsake
I gaze at skies painted in blue and baby pink hue
but how did it turn red, all of a sudden?
What can I do now?
What should I become now?
Is it me, or has this sky grown fragile too?
Then show me a world where I can smile
even if just for a minute
So, I turned red, blending with the clouds
now the sky fades to gray and black
a thunderstorm roared
telling me I am the sin-
“Just go, become a mannequin.”
what should I do now?
What can I be now?
Is it me, or has this thunder done something wrong?
Then show me a world where I can feel,
even if just for a bit
So, I become one with the crowd,
but the crowd went blind
and I saw a dog flying-
it devoured My eyes
what should I do now?
What can I see now?
Is it my sin, or is this dog to blame?
So I begged my deity for a new world
where I could peacefully die, at least.
I am writing this poem with a heavy heart. We all know what is happening in India today—a female doctor was brutally raped and murdered. It’s really scary and concerning. As a girl, I always feel scared when I go outside. I don’t understand why I have to feel this fear all the time or lose opportunities just because I am a girl. I also don’t want to rely on someone else for my safety; I want to go out without any hesitation or fear. I want to do all the things I desire. But in reality, I am just a normal girl writing this from my desk. If a doctor, who is seen as equal to a god—a Devi—is not safe, then how can an ordinary girl like me be safe?
I don’t know how to say “rest in peace” because this is so brutal. So I am writing this poem to ask a few questions:
Am I at fault for being born a girl, and is this really a sin?
Can I get a world where I can die peacefully?
Can I ever live in a world where I won’t feel fear?
Context-The sky is like a society or a world, it’s beautiful but fragile. Sometimes we try to fit in and be what society wants, but then we encounter people who try to impose their ideologies on us. They scare us and we try to protect ourselves by becoming like mannequins or dolls. The sky, however, doesn’t blame the thunder (a person who likes to impose his ideology on others) for this. We try to blend in with the crowd and move on, but sometimes the crowd turns a blind eye to something happening to a girl. That’s why I’m praying to God, asking for a world where we can die peacefully at least.
Thank you for reading till the end.