By Reeti Singh:
Its been more than twenty days now,
I know am fine and safe now-
And yet, I feel
Chained and trapped and raging within
Just as does a wild thing!
Days pass just as they ever did,
Nights no more at peace.
Morns seem all bright and fine,
But evenings have me waiting.
Waiting and watching and feeling within-
Just as does wild thing!
I sit and wonder now,
Where I blundered and how?
Seek the answers in the white coats-
Or storm and hit and destroy within?
Just as does a wild thing!
You, my dear sirs!
The scavengers of my world-
You fed and drank and stole from it!
Just as does a wild thing!
I sit here now,
Numb and dazed within…
And yet I cannot rein the self!
The self now laughs and cries and howls and weeps within-
Just as does a wild thing!
I wish to move away from it,
I wish to move away from you, my dear sirs…
What you seek to take away from me
Is mine, and mine fair.
I resist when you try to steal from me
What is only but my own!
And yet you slap and whip and burn me up-
Thinking you can make me accept
That that is how you tame a wild thing?
No, my dear sirs!
You cannot tame me.
For I refuse to take you as my masters.
I refuse to kneel and submit,
I refuse to yield.
I will not keep quiet about this.
I will not let you escape under covers again.
You have wronged and dashed many a time enough-
Just as does a wild thing!
You shall be caught this once,
You will be tamed.
For my silence shall not protect you.
My tears will not wipe away your marks-
Your deeds shall be noted.
I shall sit bare and numb and for everyone to see-
Just as does a wild thing!
Not once, not twice!
Not four times may be enough, I know!
But you know not
What strength and anger and revolt lies within me,
This unfound, but found now.
No shame no dignity no despair lies within-
As I bare and bare again…
Not once, not twice, not four times is enough-
To make note of your deeds.
I seek to tear and rip and make you wreath-
Just as does a wild thing!
Tears drop, in an unstoppable stream,
Every night drowns in them…
My rage knows no bounds in the morns-
But the day bring silence and stillness within…
The day has passed-
The evening is here.
But where are you,my dear sirs?
Steal, steal and steal from me!
Beat me, wriggle me, make much of me!
Make your smoke- fires of me,
Burn me!
Dissolve me in your drinks,
Drain me now!
Steal from me, steal of me-
Snatch from me, snatch of me-
Tear my clothes and leave me bare-
While I scream and shriek and destroy within,
Just as does a wild thing…!