Every once in a while

I go about my day

Without wearing a bra

Beaming with joy

At this rarely felt freedom

Of fooling a tradition

I was taught to follow since eighth standard

When I learnt that

The blooming of my breasts

Is something to be hidden, tied

Lest they go wild

Lest they be wrongly eyed

Lest I enjoy the attention

Lest the girl loses her mind

Becomes a woman too soon.

But I am a woman now

I have already given away that

Which they fear

I will lose

I have let my head have

As less hair

As my soul could bare

And given my heart

To more (kinds of)
Men and women

Than my relatives would like.

I am woman now

I am no longer fooled

By fairytales

And the promises I’m offered

If I promise to behave

Their standards are a

Different type of ceiling

The kind that seems

Achievable at first

But keeps lifting

No matter how hard I try.

I am a woman now

And I have no intentions

To behave

To keep a glued smile

To be quiet

My bra will be there

But only when I will it to

I will be free.