WALLS SURROUNDING ME

                    

Strolling in the garden, I glanced around to see the magnificent nature,

Pleasant wind and swaying flowers drew in my mind a striking picture,

I felt like an angel who hovered around unrestricted from every danger,

How fluky was I that I was sanctified to enjoy every bit, unlike other creatures?

Moved further, dazed with spellbinding feelings,

My heart was dancing hysterically and assured to stroll every evening,

At an aloofness, I was engrossed to the song of birds twittering,

Without my acquaintance, my legs took me towards them, hastening.

Vivid, cheery, and splendid birds were a pleasure to watch,

But they were retained in an enclosure which was their lodge,

Their liberty was curbed, which made me gloomy so much,

Did not they deserve to glide unreservedly in the sky without any hitch?

As I was submerged in all these emotions,

A strong gale blew, sweeping away the veil in which I hid in some direction,

I ran behind to clasp it, but I glanced everywhere to see its position,

Found that all eyes were ogling at me with eyes filled with desire and fun.

That day I comprehended that my plight was no better than those birds,

They were caged to restraint their flight, and I was enclosed to shield myself from craving eyes,

There were so many invisible walls, like immodesty, which surrounded me, and which were unheard,

Those hungry eyes made me insecure amidst my dear near ones when I tried to glide.

The adjoining wall is the fence of gender discrimination,

Then covered the body-shaming barrier and its restrictions,

Following it were the fortifications of caste, creed, and religions,

If not adequate, there are bulwarks of poverty and rich differentiations.

When I sat to analyze further, I was surprised that these are external barriers,

So many fragile walls lie inside curbing my growth and hindering my career,

The wall of pride, ego, anger, and hatred were hidden, which were a great terror,

They gripped me so tight that I had learned to stay in those blockades without any fear.

But were they of any use to me?

Did they allow me to fly free?

How can I be jealous of somebody when I know not the depth of water they are sailing in could be?

But never gave a thought before that day to drop those walls to grow tall like a tree.

All the parapets, which are visible only the walls surrounding and curbing,

Though we may flaunt ourselves as free individuals existing,

There are so many walls that chain us, stopping and hindering us,

Making our condition no better than those birds caged, screaming.

It is not accessible to disrupt these walls of society,

It needs utmost courage and honesty,

It needs courage which emerges from inside to break this wall dirty,

And an essential quality is that we need to maintain unity.