Here’s to the women who dream
Here’s to the girls who dreamed of becoming women
Playing with dolls, tea sets, footballs,
Trees, boxes and bikes
Learning about period stains and period pains
Hoping the boys wouldn't laugh or look at their
changing bodies, hoping the other pretty girls
would just remain nice
Here’s to the little women who dreamed of becoming women
Learning, crushing, sighing, gushing
Suppressing, loving, silently imploring
Wondering if things would ever remain the same
Wondering how fast things could come, quickly, change.
Here’s to the women who dreamed of becoming the
women they wanted to be
If they could be like mom, or wait, if they could
not turn into their moms, please
How should they love their fathers, brothers, lovers,
themselves, especially when
mistakes were made, juvenile things said.
Here’s to the women who dreamed of becoming
the women on top
To rise, to strive, to survive
To work so hard on the head and heart
And yet still be consumed with portions, dress fit, size
Here’s to the women who dream of having it all
Where is the one great love – who will he or she be –
why is this taking so long – what age do the eggs
start deteriorating in me – when do I
resign myself to whatever – when should these hopes
start or stop - how do I do this with children – but then
again how do I not
Here’s to the women who nurture the dreams of
baby girls and boys
Doubting, agonising, absorbing, hoping,
pushing, opened, closed,
hating to be judged, trying not to boast
Deadly against repeating the mistakes of generations
past, deadly afraid of it happening anyway
Desperately wanting help, but afraid to just ask
Here’s to the women who dream but find it
a sad visitor
Taking care of the children of others
while their own pine from far and away
To the mothers who cry themselves to sleep
Then work two jobs the next day
To the long suffering wives,
Those divorced by text,
Those fearful for their lives
Knowing not what comes next
Here’s to the women in Malaysia who help other
women dream
elegance in the face of savage, silly din
Loud when they could just remain silent
A smile when cursed, a wink defiant
To aspire to the greater, the bigger, the better
The Yasmins, the Ivys, the Zainahs, the Marinas,
the Rasammahs, the Ambigas, the Irenes, the Sisters
Here’s to the women who dream
Here’s to the women who dream
Here’s to the women who dream.
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The writer wishes all readers a Happy International Women's Day.