Every dawn, I yearn to be a man,
To stride alone, with a confident plan,
To speak my mind, without fear's cruel hand,
To wield strength, against life's shifting sand.
But why do they pay him more than me?
Why does he hold all the cards, you see?
Why is his voice heard, while mine's ignored?
Why do his rules bind, leaving me floored?
Yet he dreams of being in my shoes,
Where favour flows, and courage ensues,
Where my voice echoes, loud and clear,
Where my presence commands, without a sneer.
Why do they overlook his worth?
Why must he stifle emotions from birth?
Why burden him with all life's strains?
Why deem his existence lesser, in chains?
In this endless debate, we lose sight,
Of the woman nurturing with all her might,
Of the man shielding, in silent grace,
Of the world they build, in love's embrace.
When will this strife find its end?
Where do we, as one, transcend?
Where does he lend her his strength?
Where does she lead, to a world immense?
Let's join hands, in this sacred quest,
For gender equality, at its best,
Together we'll rise, breaking through,
United in beauty, me and you.
The current poem was a prize winning entry won at a competition held at SICSR on the Theme: Gender Equality
Rank 1-
Name: Arrizen Kaur,
BBA(IT)- PRN: 22030122021