by Vinita Agrawal
I see her striding across busy roads
Nine in the morning,
Smartly dressed, her feet firmly on the ground.
In the evening, she returns home
To the curl of a comforting family circle – ringed in happiest wood.
I see her change a tyre, twist a wrench on a leaking tap
Fix a fused bulb, travel to space, climb a mountain
She does not need a man to be her crutch, her wall, her dam – No.
Just a man who believes in her, recognizes her worth.
A shoulder against her shoulder, a palm in her palm.
So what if her purse is always disorganized
Or she says ‘left’ when she intends to say ‘right’
Or Pulls the door when it says Push.
So what. She has shed her veil, kicked aside her shackles.
Freed herself from history’s poison…the skies and the wind are hers now.
She keeps her maiden name after marriage
Learns Kung Fu to protect herself
Supports her ailing parents.
Spares a minute to feed the birds
Admires the roses growing on her window sill.
Sensitive Serene Strong
Crossing the threshold of light every new day
The uniquely feminine woman of today.
The force that knows how to keep the vultures of darkness at bay
Perhaps with a simple Pepper spray – the emboldened woman of today.
