HANDCUFFS



I was handcuffed,
Manhandled and pulled
By my hair and arms,
They did not care that I was hurt and harmed,
They had to put me behind the bars,
Because I was not scared to wage a war
Against their atrocities,
Fought their ferocities
Against the girls and women,
Of their own tribe, whom they kept hidden
From the world, imprisoned and enslaved,
Like animals caged,
Without any education,
Lacking any kind of nutrition, 
Frail, weak and pale,
Feeding on leftovers and food stale,
They worked and slogged,
Of all their rights robbed,
They were meant to be slaves,
At night ignite their beds
Like dead logs,
All their dreams wrapped under a dark fog.



I told them of their rights,
Introduced them to their might,
Showed them the path to knowledge
And education, and free themselves of all bondage,
To walk with their heads held high,
Dream of touching the stars and the skies,
That they were meant for much more,
Not just to be valued for the boys they bore,
Nor to be just be a good mother and wife
There was much more to their lives,
I got a following, 
They started listening and demanding,
Their rightful rights,
A better, beautiful life bright,
Which the men could not digest,
They wanted their women to stay oppressed,
So they blamed me of inciting
Their women folk, of not abiding
To what they said
And wrongly listening to me instead,
The misogynistic world agreed,
Blamed me for my noble deed.



I felt cheated and slighted,
As all the women kept quiet frightened,
They had me imprisoned,
Tortured and beaten,
Trying to teach me a lesson,
As the plights of their daughters I tried to lessen,
But I will never ever give up,
Though now I drink the painful cup,
I will go out one day and make the women cheer up,
To live a happy life, full of love chirrup,
I also wait for one of them,
To pick up the cudgels against their men,
Come forward and fight out,
Without any following or clout,
Tell their men their real worth,
Other than maintaining their homes and hearths,
They too have a life of their own, 
A path where they can walk alone,
Attain all their dreams;
And it will happen very soon it seems,
Then I will forget the pain and the handcuffs,
Their laughter, confidence and happiness will be enough!

©Madhumita