I am but a woman.
Told what I should do and shouldn’t.
Kept in the shadows,
I was born to follow.

Follow the man,
Even if he leads this world into darkness,
Even if he is heartless.

As I ventured into the real world,
Barriers and obstacles, I saw on my way, hurled.
I was made to lose my voice in the crowd,
My courage too, of which I was once proud.

The world pulled me down.
No matter how hard I tried not to drown.
Every now and then, I hear “your life is hollow”
All my thoughts, I am asked to swallow.

Shaken by this real world with a jolt,
I decided to regain my lost valiance and revolt.
I dream to sit at the head of the table one day.
In this world, I want to have a say.

And don’t worry, I'm not asking anyone to make it happen.
I can get my own corner cabin.

I will take charge of my deeds
Self-empowered, energised, enthused and ready to lead.
I will reach beyond the Moon, Mercury and Mars,
Conquer the universe, and not just gaze at the stars.
Today, I am what I wanted to be –
I am here to be.

Anushree Sharma is a Class 12 student at Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. 

Featured image credit: Pariplab Chakraborty

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