Warrior

This heartfelt poem addresses women as true warriors in the battlefield of life, and how they still rise despite all hurdles

Do I have to bleed?

Do I have to slay?

Do I have to have hatred to breed?

Do I have to have bodies to lay?

I am not on a battlefield

I don’t have any weapon or shield

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

She will have my smile and may be your hair, that curl

You came in and declared, it has to be a boy and not a girl

You took away the joy of becoming a mother

Here I stand with all the broken pieces I gathered

But I am going to rise

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

I wanted to be a doctor, a teacher or may be a nurse

But you thought educating daughters can be a family curse

I loved books, the languages, the magic of numbers

When was the last time I sat next to by brother and felt a book…..I don’t remember!

But I am going to rise

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

I am a victim of lust

There was no reason why, if that’s a must

He hurt my body, he hurt my soul

He is a person I trust no more

But I am going to rise

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

I was beautiful and I dreamed

But he had another plan for me

Oh … how it hurt and how I screamed

I see a stranger in the mirror now and they expect me to… just be

But I am going to rise

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

I am a battered wife

Days are painful and nights I dread

Don’t know if it was something I did or something I said

Now my body has scars that I have to cover

Where is the safe place I once dreamt of and where is my lover

But I am going to rise

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

Now I am old, my skin is wrinkly and pale

I need some love as I am weak and frail

All the years I have put in to make a beautiful family and a place I can call home

My sons and daughters have no time for me as they have a family of their own

But I am going to rise

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

Do I have to bleed?

Do I have to slay?

Do I have to have hatred to breed?

Do I have to have bodies to lay?

I am not on a battlefield

I don’t have any weapon or a shield

I will fight my battles

The demons around me

I am a warrior

And the wounds are for me to see

The wounds are for me to heal

The wounds are for me mend

I cannot…. just be.

Photo by Sofia Garza from Pexels

Usha Peri

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