Wish to Be a Fish
A Poem by Rachana Sunar
Oops!! How bummer life is to be a woman
In a so called Modern society
Where women are subject to be trading
From barn to brands
Fantasizing success and luxury
By riffing off Women’s cloths and flesh
Labeling with feminism, Pleasing and pledging men everywhere
Today’s Women are more vulnerable than 100 century back
Massive work load at office and home
Both demands time, effort and perfection
And to raise children
In a Montessori era, alpha generation
It’s enough to roast a woman’s body, mind and soul
Where everyone talks about Women’s education,
But no one can bare Women’s opinion
Where women are empowered,
To raise their voice loud,
But their mouths are shut down in their own home
Wait. Home!
Before marriage, it’s their parent’s home
After married their husband’s
In both homes, they serve and do
All chores and everything but of course,
They own nothing
Despite, she is the only one responsible
To keep family’s prestige and reputation
By faking off and showing up
Only good stories of both the families
If she talks back in husband’s family
She is blamed to let down her parent’s name and prestige,
If she talks against domestic violence,
Then she is framed for diminishing both families’ names and reputation
Oh I feel sophisticated to live as women
In this so called Modern Era
Just as a fish without water
How much I wish, I could be a fish
Unstable moves, ever resting
But still calm and quiet
Coping with the water’s wave
Still relaxed and peaceful
When it senses any sign of danger
Immediately it swims away
Without thinking
What other fish will think of it
Well!
Where a woman thinks
Thousand times, from past to the future
Still too late, To get out of the danger,
She waits for nothing but
Get emotional and mental damage
She freezes as paralyzed,
Can’t move on from the toxic cage
So in this sense,
I love to be a fish or a mermaid,
In my next form of life.
Bio of the poet: Rachana Sunar is a Human rights activist, ECD/Montessori trainer, writer, educator, nature lover and a mother.