Beyond The Obscurity
Reshma Anil Kumar | 12-05-2023
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“Freedom of Expression,”
A right said to be inherent in all
But is it really?
That inherent right,
Isn’t it often curtailed
By the social constructions of gender?
Am I so wrong for feeling suffocated
For not being able to be who I am?
The pain pulsing in my heart,
Waiting to spew out
To dirty that “society” with its
Ugly and slimy arms
Is it really dirty?
Is it that ugly?
To be who I am
To love who I want
To wear what I want
To walk my way
The way my legs & hips take me
Is it really that ugly?
“Freedom of Expression,”
A right often said to be inherent
But is it really?
That inherent right,
When am I to feel it
Removing those chains,
Shoving my words back in my throat.
Those words brimming and brimming,
Waiting to overflow
And let everyone know my “ugly” secret,
Is trembling like a thin leaf
As if it’s ready to fall off
And leave the way it came from,
Silently…
Silence, dark as it is,
Surrounds me.
Loud as it is,
Makes me lonely,
Begging for some warmth,
Waking that pulsating pain,
Showering me in salty, salty tears,
Silently…
In the name of “Freedom of Expression.”
Expression…Isn’t it to be colourful and vibrant
So vibrant that it looks
Ugly but runs deep and beautiful,
Coming in different shapes and sizes
To embrace all and all
Even in those salty, salty tears,
Sharing vulnerabilities
And calling for inclusion in its warmth?
That “Freedom of Expression,”
Inherent in all,
Is it equal for “all”?
Is chains for some and freedom for others
what equality means,
what “Freedom of Expression” means?