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.

.

The writer wishes all readers a Happy International Women's Day.