There once was was a girl who loved butterflies.
Every day she saw them flit among the flowers
With their colorful wings dazzling in the day’s lights.
Every day she wished to fly like them in the bowers.

As she prayed, there came together some magical powers
And lo! She transformed into a Monarch’s likeness-
With her wings and a quill, she became a poetess.

PS: This poem is a rhyme royal. Rhyme scheme is ABABBCC.

Who is that girl I see in the mirror?
To me, she is a complete stranger.
When I cry, she tells me to smile.
She says it brightens up my eyes.

When I feel like hiding in a corner,
I can hear her laugh at me louder.
She tells me the only way ahead
Is by going through it all instead.

When I feel afraid of the monsters,
She tells me I’m brave and a fighter.
When I think that I have lost it all,
She tells me to take another shot.

When I feel things couldn’t be worse,
She tells me they will only get better.
When I feel lost with nowhere to go,
She tells me I’m stronger than I know.

Yes, that girl is a complete stranger.
The girl I see every day in the mirror.
Oftentimes, I wonder who she is
Is she someone else, or could she be … me?

On the day of her wedding,
She felt a range of emotions –
Sadness and happiness,
nervousness and helplessness.

Wearing an ornate red attire,
Decked with jewelry and fresh flowers,
She looked every bit the beautiful bride.
But, she was a mess, deep inside.

In a moment alone, she looked at the mirror,
and saw someone familiar staring back at her –
It was the Goddess she prayed to everyday.
She could see Her resemblance in herself.

She realized her role in the circle of life
As Shakti…and not as a compromise
To the opinions of her society and class.
She felt ready to step towards the mandap.

Once upon a time, there was a princess.
Imprisoned by an evil wizard, she was in distress.
Every day, she read fairytales and was so sure
That a brave prince would one day rescue her.
But the clock ticked on, and years passed.
No prince ever came to set her free, alas!
She then realized that her prince never existed,
And that it was up to her to rescue herself.
So, she planned to fight the wizard by hook or by crook,
And snuck into his library and read all his books.
Against him, she then used his most powerful spell.
And finally escaped after he was dead.
In her own castle, she then happily dwelled
As a fairy helping good folks with her spells.

I’m the morning mist veiling the green hills.
I’m the silvery dew dazzling on rose petals.
I’m the raindrops creating rainbows in the skies.
I’m the still lake reflecting bits of sunshine.

I’m the tidal wave crashing on sandy shores.
I’m the flashflood uprooting the earth’s floor.
I’m the hurricane sweeping everything in my way.
I’m the hailstorm destroying cities in a day.

I’m the drizzle bringing forth trees from seeds.
I’m the river giving all souls the final release
I’m the delta spawning civilizations that bred.
I’m the ocean churning up both life and death.

I’m not limited by my shape or the path I make.
I’m not limited by my color or the form I take.
I’m pure, I’m sacred, I’m the incarnation of strength.
I’m gentle, I’m powerful, I’m water – I’m a woman.

You can tie stones to my feet
and push me in an ocean deep,
but swim to the surface, I will,
and glow like a precious pearl.

You can dig a bottomless pit
and bury me deep inside it,
but grow like a seed, I will,
and bloom like a golden orchid.

You can scale the highest peak
and throw me in the deep valley,
but fly in the blue skies, I will,
and soar like the mighty eagle.

You can light the biggest pyre
and burn me to ashes in that fire,
but rise like the Phoenix, I will,
and live on like the legend lives.

No matter how difficult it gets,
I will overcome all challenges.
I am the superhero of my life.
I will always rise and shine.

To catch a speck of stardust
and build from it a heart that beats.
To grab a flake of cloudy fluff
and turn it to a dream that breathes.

To clasp a small piece of nothing
and mould it into an angel of light.
To take a tiny bit of heaven itself
and create from it a little child.

Who could that blessed one be?
To perform such miracles as He?
To bring forth life from a tiny seed –
It’s a woman’s journey of maternity.

“It’s a girl!” they told the mother
who gazed with love filled eyes
upon her little daughter
for the very first time.

“It’s a girl!” they told the father
whose heart swelled with pride
as he promised to be her
best friend and her guide.

“It’s a girl!” they told the grandma
who smiled so happily
at the thought of having someone
listen to her stories.

“It’s a girl!” they told the grandpa
who got up and danced
as he held his granddaughter
so lightly in his arms.

“It’s a girl!” they told her brother
who clapped his hands with joy
as now he had a sister to
play with and share his toys.

“It’s a girl!” said the Wise One
as He smiled at them from above.
“She was made by all the angels
With things lovely, sweet and pure.”

It’s a girl! It’s a girl!
As she steps into the world
with a special purpose,
she should be nurtured

with kindness and love
and a whole lot of care as
she deserves the chance to
live, be happy and prosper.

Like morning dew on rose petals, tears line her eyes.
The hint of a smile upon her lips hides the uncertainty inside.
And under the pressures of expectations that are on the rise,
she has to metamorphose into a diamond shining so bright.

For today, she leaves the only family she knows
to embrace another one as part of her fate
while beautiful people in beautiful clothes arrive at her door
to eat, sing, dance, make merry and celebrate.

What does she get when she has given up everything?
Are her dreams and wishes worth nothing?
And should her hopes be laid to rest, unceremoniously
under a pile of social norms and opinions?

Or is she the example of one who is brave
as she sets out into the unfamiliar, uncharted territory
of a new house, new relationships and a new name
to be the half that begins life’s very own story?