‘Pure,’ they say,
‘A woman must be pure.’
Untouched by any other man,
That’s reserved only for her husband. 

‘Skilled,’ they say,
‘A woman must be skilled.’
An expert in all household chores,
Prefect to move into her husband’s home. 

‘Soft,’ they say,
‘A woman must be soft.‘
Never voicing a word of objection,
Quiet and humble, even when she’s trampled.

‘Pretty,’ they say,
‘A woman must be pretty.‘
Put on all the make-up in the world,
Conceal the blemishes, scars, the true beauty. 

‘Employed,’ they say,
‘A woman must be employed.’
Not draining a man’s income,
But earn lesser, you can’t injure a man’s ego.

‘Independent,’ they say,
‘A woman must be independent.’
But the whole house can be dependent on her,
Be it office or home, she has to excel at both. 

‘Don’t give a damn,’ I say,
‘A woman must be who she wants to be.’
Spread your wings, chase you dreams,
You write your own destiny!