The Wait
“Just wait!”, they told her
“Just wait till you attain puberty!”
No more short skirts…
Bicycling in the neighbourhood….
No more running around…
No more playing games outside…
They listed a list of rules.
She was scared…
She was afraid…
Many a sleepless night,
Was spent dreading this EVIL thing…
She feared the day…
In which she would come face to face…
With that cursed speck of red…
Every time she climbed the bicycle…
She thought that would be the last…
Every day without THE NEWS…
Was one more day of grace…
Fear gripped her…
Tossed her around…
And swallowed her whole…
When the red goddess met her one fine day…
She thought it was all over…
Angry
Confused
Powerless…
She wished to go back in time…
And make the red disappear..
“May be even change myself into a guy?”
She sulked…
Cried silent tears….
For days.
“Why don’t you ride your bicycle?”
Her mom asked.
“Really? Nothing needs to change?”
“Why should it…?”
“But people said so many things to me.. I was scared”
“You should have told me before no? You poor thing.
Nothing has to change. Go ride your bicycle”, mom said.
She beamed…
Cried happy tears…
Smiles, hugs, mouthing thank you…
Her mom sprouted a halo around the head!
Her bicycle sprouted wings!
Poet: Narayani Subramanian
Narayani is a research scholar of Marine Biology in
Andamans. As a child of two doctors, she lived in a very well-informed and secure bubble until she one day realized that not all girl children are as lucky as her. She wants to spread medical awareness through popular media to the young girls who are stepping into womanhood.
