
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