Confession in the shadow

Brother, sit with me for a few minutes,

under the cool breath of night,

Crescent moon and stars in the sky,

I’ll bare to you my soul,

the untold truth of my heart.

Brother, when we were young,

Grandpa lifted you high on his shoulders,

Told you tales of ancestors—rich, vivid, and alive,

But for me, only unwritten rules:

”Never raise your voice— it carries shame”.

Brother, do you remember those days?

Father fulfilled each of your wishes,

You were the jewel of his house, the apple of his eye,

And free like a golden eagle.

I was just a sinner in his eyes,

Forbidden from school, locked in his fortress,

A daughter he thought would drag him to hell.

Brother, you turned away too,

You didn’t want a sister who defied the mold,

You were afraid that the people in Bemaru’s street,

Would talk, and say you had a sister, a stubborn one,

One who dared to dream of working by your side,

building a better world.

Brother, the government decrees,

That women are for hearth and chores.

They belong to the corners of the house, unseen and unheard,

As though a nation could rise without its daughters!

Brother, a husband wants a wife who bends to,

The slightest flick of his hands,

Not the one who demands her rightful place.

Brother, the world told me what I must be–

A woman with her mouth shut,

Her dreams packed away like unused threads.

Tell me, does this look like the life of a human being?

Or more a puppet, strings pulled by others?

Brother, but know this: I did not break,

I am not a fragile doll,

I am a strong girl,

I will fight for what I was born to do,

I won’t let my name fade into oblivion,

Whether they like it or not,

I will wear my suit and georgette scarf,

Earn my living, conquer the world,

make my presence known.

Brother as you witness my climb,

Do you see the sublimely human?