so you have dropped
your shield
of plastic of red and blue
& timid fists
running away from the loud-mouths
in the playground
it was more pathetic in school
when no one wanted to play
with you during recess time
you
speaking with a different tongue
growing up in a different part of the country
to them, you were a strange, foreign sounding girl
who hid in the library & empty classrooms-
a wild flower, with easily-trampled upon
petals
that time is done
i tell you now, that time will pass
like tides
people & events change all the time,
what you didn't know was that
every insult & hurtful words
toughened your skin and gritted your teeth
as you grew up
as an adult
as a mother of your village
your voicebox became stronger
everyday
you pick positive thoughts & vase them
on your table
you fly your flags & keep your boundaries
some days, you wish you are holding that
small shield - plastic of red and blue -
as if it was an amulet, armor or a sword
but then you remind yourself,
you've have made a shield over time-
its called self-love
self-care
self-respect
it's a river, all flowing
within you
Posted for dVerse Poets pub - Handling Peer Pressure, hosted by Sanaa Rizvi. The idea came to me when we gifted my grandson a plastic Captain America shield. He was very happy to get it like it was a powerful real shield. For myself, I am now able to handle any peer pressure. It comes with time & a lot of experiences. Thanks for your visits and comments.
Just a note that dVerse will be going on a 2 week summer break and that we will be back on July 11.
