Igniting The Flame

Hands folded, head bowed,

Standing before the idol of Goddess Durga,

I Pray for Shakti, Strength.

Ever since birth,

I have felt shackles,

Of traditions, morality,

Holding me down,

Binding me, trapping me.

And like thousands of other girls,

I accepted them meekly

Being a good girl, quiet, obedient,

Keeping my head low,

My skirt long covering my knees,

My laughter soft and mellow

My dreams limited to the four corners of my house,

Cowering in the shadows,

Afraid to step out of the boundary,

Too weak to claim my territory

But if I don’t speak up now,

I feel I will forever lose my voice,

If I cannot breathe freely, am I even alive!

This caged life won’t do, I have to soar free,

Drop the shroud of pretenses, discover the real me,

O Ma Durga, I am your daughter

Your power lies dormant within my soul

It is time I ignite it, let the sparks flare the flames,

Pen down my own definition of myself,

An independent human, not a pet to tame

Dream the dreams so far denied,

No damsel in distress, be my very own knight,

Yes, I am a girl,

Not a demure daughter, but Durga’s avatar,

Loving and assertive,

Compassionate and Confident,

I am ready to take a leap and spring free,

I am ready to defy gravity, defy gravity.