Standing in front

of the mirror,

she hides with make-up,

blue and purple marks

on her face.

Remnants of brutality,

anguish and pain,

she suffered in silence 

in a home-like-cage.

Her wings clipped 

systematically,

her body violated

frantically,

her voice smothered

unfathomably,

her worth diminished 

drastically,

she wondered what was she hiding?

for what and for whom?

For “macho” masculinity

thumping its chest,

unleashing bestiality 

brazen in bed?

For decadent society,

which couldn’t care less,

if she was breathing alive

or buried and dead?

Bindi on forehead

and vermillion on head,

was it worth 

her own self respect?

the wounds on her psyche 

which no make-up could correct?

“It’s now time”

she finally decides,

this societal sickness

is no more to hide,

behind dismissals 

and coward smiles,

she pulls out her pen

and resolutely signs,

the “divorce” papers,

a fire ignites

an end to begin,

her fresh new life.

Parul Sharma

A post graduate in Law, Parul is a writer based in Mumbai. Her poems have been published in several English and Hindi anthologies and magazines. Her poems capture diverse themes of nature, human emotions and experiences. She is also a spoken word artist and translator and takes a keen interest in painting and photography. Her courage to walk on new paths is what makes her a blahcksheep. Parul aspires to positively touch the lives of her readers through her writings. You can access her work on her Instagram @pearls_poetry_n_more