She Goes -Coming of Age

Bright lights shining she came; Amid cheers and proclaim; "What a beauty!", they exclaimed; Until the world played a little court game; And no one here is to blame. She went to play one midsummer’s day, But her black skin made her a stray; Runny nose, dusty hair, undone shoelace; They cried, "You are different from the array so stay away". She became her own castaway. School, her teachers so cruel, Thought she was from a cesspool, With her torn clothes and parents from labour pool, Deemed her unworthy of private school. They shouted, "Take her out of the school, she is a fool". Her report card, deep fiery gashes carrying calling card, Her skin marred, her heart scarred, With every heavy hand in her parent's backyard. Broken toys, bad dreams, unshed tears, abandoned yard, Her cradle became her graveyard. She wanted to cry, no tears swell, She wanted to shout, no words sound, She wanted to live, no heart beat. She fought, She cried, she clawed, She peeled herself a new one. Her skin bled with every layer she peeled, She was raw, with no one to heal. She lost herself in the fumes of her past, There was no lover, only losers in her cast, Lipsticks, smoke, empty bottle and her broken heart. As she was about to read her last page, She understood, she was the one to set her stage, She forgave and forgot the pains of her teenage, She let go of her rage, didn't care about people's gage, Broke out of society's cage and mended her broken rib cage. Now she goes, With scars of her past as armour, she goes, Fighting for the cries of the people in shadows, Beautiful words of love she will compose, Dancing free in meadows of primrose. As she knows, She knows, She knows, There is no one she owes, Her happiness just for their glowing prose. Written @IIM Trichy Sanskriti 2019