Would it be alright....?


She stood naked in front of a mirror,
And gazed at herself for a long time. 
She thought,
would it be alright, if she stood like this,
and looked at what she actually possessed
Something that actually belonged to her? 

Would it be alright, if she touched herself
in hundred million ways
In ways that made her feel better?  

She thought,
no burqa, no kurta today.
Just some pastel colored shorts. 
Would it be alright,
if she wore a sling top with it?

What if she painted her lips
with that sultry red. 
Yes, that red,
that deep deep red.
Would it be alright,
if she wore a mascara,
with a shimmering eye-shadow to go with it? 

She gazed into her eyes deeper and deeper
As she stood naked in front of the mirror. 
She thought,
Would it be alright,
if she flew engines in the skies,
Or be a cosmonaut
or what they say, an astronaut
And not work nine to five. 


Would it be alright,
if her womb remained empty,
and yet she be content and happy? 
Yes, she thought. 
She thought, 
as she stood naked in front of the mirror. 

She moved,
as if coming out of trance.
Saw men looking at her,
Some with lust,
And some with condemnation. 
In chorus they said,
No, it would never be alright
Never would it be alright,



    -Gauri
    21.July. 2015