My father missed his studies to earn for family
I know what sacrifice means
My mother told me her 'me too' story
to show how cruel the world could be
My son confessed
about bunking a class
towards the semester end
My young maid suffered marital rape,
She broke chains and
didn't hesitate to face the world
and start all over again
My neighbour too
broke free from a troubled marriage
after being tolerant, patient, silent in the cage
for too long
The price you pay for anything
must be weighed
I sense a wave of change
Courage is all it takes
to choose the harder right
to lay bare the nightmares
to own up mistake
to trust your gut
to gather broken pieces
of your wounded soul
to make it whole
every day, in tiny ways
to show up and live
one more time
Bio
Pragya Bajpai, Ph. D. is a proud mother, poet, artist, and an academic from India. Her debut book of poems is based on 51 English proverbs titled A Potpourri of Proverbs (2021). She has co-edited two bilingual anthologies titled Unkahi: The Unsung (2021) and The Force is With Us (2022) to celebrate the armed forces. She has also co-edited a collection of Hindi poems called Dabe Paanv (2022). She is editor and designer of an international e-zine, Brahmand: Voice of the Cosmos. Her poems have appeared in several national and international anthologies. Email: pragyabajpai@gmail.com & Instagram: pragyabajpai29
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