By Rakhshinda Shakir

Asian University for Women, Bangladesh

Dear beautiful strong women!
Just in case
No one has reminded you
In a short while
Of how beautiful you are,
Let me please
Describe you
Your beauty!

Did anyone ever
Tell you that
For beautiful things to happen
On this zigzag path of hindrances
In the so-called MEN’S world
You have to go through some
Unexpected behavior?
By now,
If you have decided
To stay strong,
I am deadly sure
You are well aware of
How, where, when and whom
You must fiercely face!

Humiliation, of course,
Is never gonna leave
Your beautiful mental sky
The agony is fathomable
But,
You gotta adapt to that
So-called hurt and heartbreak
And give no damn to
Those causing it.

Patience
Does not come with ease
But if you have come this far
I want to remind you:
Without your decisions,
We are never gonna be
Out of this men’s world.

Let me tell you
The word woman is
Not any different than
That of civilized!
You have to help me
Teach the men
How to be civilized.

You have to help me
Teach the men
That your honor does not lie
in some of your body parts
You have to help me teach the men
You are more than just what you wear
We have to keep being strong
And tell the men what is
strong is beautiful
as we women are.

So tell the men
This is no time
To remain quiet
But to transform the world
Into a better place to live
By teaching the men
Civilization.