I have lived for long in this realm
And sometimes,
in the middle of the night
I think there is a need for more venues
Through which I can move effortlessly.
I thought of this as I tossed and turned in my bed
And realised I could only turn left, right,
on my back or my stomach.
There was no other way to be.
While sitting on a chair
I realised I could only sit
With legs down or crossed or folded
Stretched or curled.
The more I thought, the more the limitations stared back at me
Every movement is simply a confinement
I look around
And find everyone a prisoner in this setting.
Talk the same way, walk the same way
So the diversity we celebrate
is perhaps only a myopic vision
Because where is the diversity in a stipulated environment?
Let me expand as much as the universe
And not a rubber band
And let me be fluid
And not fixed
Let me be cellular
And porous
Let me have cavities
And a see-through personality
Let me be real
Let me start as an embryo
And remain rudimentary.
Shefali Nautiyal believes in the magic of words. She believes in stories, fairy tales, and poetry, and uses these mediums to constantly escape from the real world. Her first book, an anthology of poems titled ‘Unwoven’ was released in June this year. Her second book, a verse novel titled ‘Gathering Dreams at Dusk’ has just been released this month.
Featured image: Bia Andrade / Unsplash