Two Perspectives of Women

Trust and the freedom to chase dreams is the best gift for anyone, but it's still a distant dream for many Indian women.Lemme share with you two different perspectives of women in the form of these poems.

Human nature is such
That if you sit, they'll say, "No, don't sit."
And if you stand, " What's the matter? Walk!"
And if you walk, " Shame on you, Sit down!"
If you so much as lie down, they'll order, "Get up!"
If you don't lie down, no respite, "Lie down."

I'm wasting my days getting up and sitting down.
If I'm dying right now, they speak up, "Live."
If they see me living, who knows when they'll say, "Shame on you, die!"
In fear, I secretly go on living.
------------------------------- Taslima Nasrin

Now the other view -

I'm going to move ahead.
Behind me my whole family is calling,
My child is pulling my saree-end,
My husband stands blocking the door,
But I will go.
There's nothing ahead but a river.
I will cross.
I know how to swim,
but they won't let me swim, won't let me cross.
There's nothing on the other side of the river
but a vast expanse of fields,
But I'll touch this emptiness once and run
against the wind, whose whoosing sound
makes me want to dance.
I'll dance somedayand then return.
I've not played keep-away for years
as I did in childhood.
I'll raise a great commotion playing keep-away someday
and then return.
For years I haven't cried with my head
in the lap of solitude.
I'll cry to my heart's content some
day and then return.
There's nothing ahead but a river,
and I know how to swim.
Why shouldn't I go?
I will go.
---------------- Anonymous