My Journey
I am WOMAN-
Confined within
the cocoon of suppression,
I dreamt of the unknown ocean.
Cracking the shell of suppression,
I stretched my arms
and embraced a new dawn.
I shed dead silence
to kiss the life of expression;
I began my journey towards the ocean.
I plunged into strange waters
and dared the tempestuous ocean.
Without knowing how to swim,
I struggled to own my own expression.
Initially
I was submerged
by dangerous raging waves.
In desperation,
I tried to beat monstrous tides
I kept on changing strategic strokes,
Gradually I could raise my head
above water to breathe,
to exist
and to be visible.
Clutching at straws of perseverance,
I grappled with troubling waters,
I rose and fell
with aggressive tides of time,
I gasped for existence
till:
I eventually began to swim
by trial and error.
I metamorphosed like a butterfly.
This is how I crossed the ocean
of centuries of oppression,
I reached the shore;
I did not sink.
My journey continues still...
Now towards the boundless sky.
About the Author:
Vipanjeet Kaur resides in Chandigarh, India. Since 2022, her haiku have appeared in numerous online journals, such as The Haiku Pond, The Haiku Pea Podcast, Plum Tree Tavern, Asahi Haikuist Network, Under the Basho, FreshOutMag (in collaboration), Black and White Haiga (in collaboration), Cold Moon Journal, Stardust Haiku, The Japan Society Haiku Corner, Scarlet Dragonfly Journal and Haiku Dialogue. Her other poems have also appeared in White Enso, Cajun Mutt Press, FromOneLine: If I were a House, Lothlorien Poetry Journal and Fevers of the Mind Poetry and Art Group. She has also has written research papers on Women Empowerment and Literature and Human Rights at various international conferences and national seminars.
Her other poems/haiku can be read on her website https://vjpoeticmusings.com
She can be followed on twitter (Twitter handle) – @vjpoeticmusings
She can be followed on Instagram (Instagram handle) – @vjpoeticmusings
Visuals
Image Credits: Photos by Mikk Tonissoo, Matt Hardy, Joseph Barrientos, Daniel Lerman, Torsten Dederichs, Ivan Bandura, Oswaldo Martinez, Alan Jones, and Mathijs de Koning on Unsplash. Graphic design by Teresa Berkowitz.
Tangled Locks Journal 
Reblogged this on Teresa Berkowitz and commented:
New work on Tangled Locks Journal.
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