HAND IN HAND

04/04/23

Hand in hand,

We painted it red.

Those broken thread ,

Won't mend again.

Those torn faces,

Won't capture gazes.

Those rare hands ,

Became friends.

Now , hand in hand 

We painted it red.

With valour and courage,

We are compassion and we are rage.

Broken bars of the age,

Either sixty or eight.

Heavy hands on mankind's face,

Wrapped in white , painted red.

Crimson sky ,

and drops are knife .

Not Atmost you ,

It's more I.

Hand in hand ,

hand is raised.

We the race under same line ,

We the woman in the mankind.

Be she fair as light,

Or be she dark as night.

Be she soft as petal,

Or be she tough as any battle.

She who paints it red,

She blends the world in her rage.

The day was pretty ,

But the nights are brave .

The master man,

You are slave .

Slave of sex & body ,

you are master of cruelty.

Be it white  or be it red,

We are the same shades.

She in white ,

Lands her hand.

Invites us to ,

paint her red.

From Naked neck,

To bare foot.

Serious and still she stood,

"Paint me red" carved on wood.

Paint me red ,

If you were raped .

Paint me red ,

If you have been victims of sex.

Paint me red ,

If you dare to reveal them.

Reveal them,

You are brave.

No more scared ,

No more dead.

No more victim,

Of those slaves.

No more silent ,

on ugly blames.

No more ash ,

Of stolen flame.

Yes I have scars ,

But they won't scare.

Because I am brave ,

Then any of them.

So, hand in hand 

Now we paint it red.

She paints it red,

She blends the world in her rage.

From the  "#paint me red" champion.

This poetry is written on the protest carried out against sexual abuse in Lalitpur, Nepal in 2022. It is small dedication to all those brave victims who came up with such a spirit and bravery to reveal and bring out the truth.

©Nidhi Odedra

04/04/2023

Gujarat.