I Remember

A girl-child in a man’s world
Born of the same lineage
But lower-birthed.

A free spirit – a little fighter
Louder, faster, bolder
In spite of being the ‘weaker’ gender.

Not less loved
But lower-ranked
And always a bit outmanned.

Not less special
But never first
Always just second or third.

I am you
And you are me
Stay with me – I will set you free.

Cotton-candy at the fair, yellow flowers in our hair
Strawberries and ice-cream, deep sleep and a sweet dream
A storybook afternoon, the magic of the silver moon
A birthday cake and gifts galore, sandy days at the seashore
Magicians and a circus clown, a seesaw going up and down
Adventures in the mango tree, an encounter with a honeybee.

I am you
And you are me
Stay with me – I will set you free.

This work was written during the Ochre Sky Memoir writing workshop facilitated by Natasha Badhwar and Raju Tai.