"On the cusp of staying focused and zoning out,
The rain drops on the petals,
the mellifluous sound of nightingale and
the fireflies in midnight,
Among all the things you could be wondering about
you wavered, gazing at your scars,
Whether they made you repulsive or stood out.
You heard the sand sizzling from the salt of the ocean
each time the water caresses the shore,
You tried to dissociate yourself but all in your mind was,
The voice of every boy in high school that called you
fat, slut and whore.
Your heart seemed beating in your throat,
and every fibre of your being was aquiver
You felt homesick for a home that never was yours.
You believed in the fairytales and passionately waited for your knight,
And he did come but alas! Not for you,
You thought you’re the evil sister
as soon as the glass shoe didn’t fit right,
You loathe yourself while you carved your foot,
Where in fact, trapped in a Cinderella story,
you were the Snow White."
Safiyat Naseem is a final year law student of Jamia Millia Islamia, India. She has a profound interest in literature and art. Her work has previously been published in The Parliament Literary Magazine, National Herald and The Muslim Vibe among others.
Her short verse poetry can be seen on her instagram handle @safiyat_naseem.
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