A Short Course On How To Implement Patriarchy In 14 Easy Lessons

#Poetry. A litany of interference in a woman’s choice, a tightening of the stranglehold of patriarchy, almost imperceptibly taking over her individuality.

Patriarchy 101

although
he promised to let her
take all the decisions
of little importance
he intervened now and then
just to remind her
that it was him
who had given her that voice

Patriarchy 102

he watched on his mobile
the uninhibited dance
of an unknown woman
just to remind her
that she was no longer free

Patriarchy 103

he heard her talk
about her desires
paid close attention
so that later in his head
he could call her a slut

Patriarchy 104

you are free to spend
what you earn
but don’t dare to think
that you don’t have to ask
for my permission
at every step

Patriarchy 105

he told her that he loved her
regardless of what she felt
he reassured her
that it was okay
not to reciprocate
‘I will love you no matter what’
he bought a bottle of acid
in case it was unrequited

Patriarchy 106

he flirted with her
she flirted back
he dumped her
it was obvious
her character was bad

Patriarchy 107

to drink or smoke
is the biggest sin
especially if you wear lipstick
and your favourite colour is pink

Patriarchy 108

she should have a job
so that after their marriage
she would be the one
bringing the ‘extra’ income
otherwise his salary is sufficient
to cage her
as a housewife for a lifetime

Patriarchy 109

he hated strippers
for he had the power
to strip every woman
regardless of the clothes
they wore to hide their bodies
from men like him

Patriarchy 110

the key to her success
is hidden beneath her clothes
she has secrets, you know
while his success
along with his libido and brain
are always available for display
even when it’s completely
unwarranted

Patriarchy 111

whenever she wanted to play
he made sure they played the same game
over and over again
the game was simple
he would make rules
she had to follow them
it wasn’t long before she quit
the game
and his company

Patriarchy 112

she wasn’t supposed to be this
foul-mouthed and angry
full of sexual desires
overtly expressive
it’s some kind of a fault
ever since
they have been searching
desperately
for the reset button

Patriarchy 113

he said
he understood her completely
so much so
that whenever
she opened her mouth
to argue
or to raise a voice
he would try and shut her up
with a simple sentence
‘You are having your periods, again?’

Patriarchy 114

he always spoke before her
he had to
he was an expert at everything,
even womanhood.

Header image is a still from the movie Agnisakshi.

Abhishek Anicca

Abhishek Anicca is a bilingual poet, writer, performer and activist. When not writing poetry, he

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