We have come so far, and yet, it just doesn’t seem far enough.

We have come so far,

And yet,

It just doesn't seem far enough.

Sometimes it feels,

Like the finish line is further away than it seems,

It is either in my head,

Or maybe there's a conspiracy, more so,

Such that the closer we come,

The further away a new line is drawn;

For even after each step we take,

In the name of emancipation, in the name of progress, so to say

It seems like we are as far away & as forlorn,

If not more, then just the same.

We try to break away,

Away from them and their so called ‘norms’,

That drown us in this pool,

Of despair & fake hope;

But all you do is of no avail.

You flap your hands,

You gasp for air,

You scream,

You scream louder than you think you're capable off;

But not a leaf stirs,

Not a head turns,

Everyone's just a little too sensitive to care!

Whether her husband drowns her in the tub,

Or she's beaten when she forgets to iron his shirt;

Whether her clothes are ripped off,

Or she's forced into bed;

Whether she wears a burqa,

Or a mini skirt;

Whether she’s 6 months old,

Or an 80-year old;

Whether she stays out late,

Or walks the streets in broad daylight;

Whether she smokes a cigarette,

Or her drink was spiked;

Whether she goes for work,

Or is confined to a wheelchair;

Whether she says no,

Or changes her route to work, just to be left alone;

Whether her clothes have stains of blood,

Or she bleeds to death;

What she does or does not shouldn’t seem to matter anymore,

What happens to her should!

So next time you see her around,

Distraught, terrified, scarred and all alone,

Don't leave her in the lurch,

And look away,

Coz that is the easiest path so to say;

Stand with her & help her fight,

Coz even when the finish line is drawn further away,

We'll stand together & proudly say,

We have come far from where we once began,

And it won't be long before we cross that finish mark!

By Ana Thomas