Are You Special?

You’re just another woman,

Like everyone roaming out there,

You stay at home like most do,

A parasite, brazenly feasting on my money,

Ne’er thinking twice before squandering,

You can’t even earn on your own,

And, you think you’re ‘special’,

What a bad joke, I must say!

Many aides to ease your burden,

Getting everything at the appropriate time,

Almirah overflowing with dresses,

Parlour visit twice or thrice a year,

Unnecessary and unmindful shopping,

What else do you require to be cheerful?

Yet, look at your dry and wretched face,

Never smiling, ever complaining.

You should have thought about it,

Before marriage, and especially,

Planning and taking a baby,

For, a housewife’s life is all about,

Sacrifices more than soldiers,

Swashed with emendations and contumely,

No, they aren’t meant to hurt you,

They are beneficial for your growth,

Don’t I get brickbats from my boss?

Have I got inborn ‘special’ talents?

The moment I married and reproduced,

I could automatically start functioning well,

Like a robot fed with instructions?

I’m an individual, and, I’m learning,

As I’m progressing, but you can never see,

For your ‘special’ eyes forbid you,

To discover a human in a woman, like me.

I’m no soldier or a spiritual leader,

Not even an empathetic social worker,

In the quest for my identity,

I’ve latched on to self-respect,

The integral part of my life,

And, despite being a housewife,

With neither ‘my’ house nor a ‘wife’ any longer,

I won’t serve you as a slave,

And barter my peace for your merriment.

I do have a ‘special secret, residing within me,

Some ‘special’ weapons which I’ll utilize,

When the time is ripe, when you push me,

To the extreme without any compunction,

The tables will turn, and I’ll find my ground below,

Till then, do what you wish to do, to your heart’s content,

But then, also be aware of that ‘special day’,

Arriving soon and unexpectedly,

Driving you nuts, that remorse, and paranoia,

I’ll celebrate with some ‘special’ treats.