Her hazel eyes enunciates tales of agony

That dismal gaze irks a sentient soul

The damsel in distress disguises the trauma

Discreetly beneath her captivating smile.

The contentious, short-tempered, impatient, chauvinist pig

Weaves the web of his charm and love

The beauty gets entangled and entrapped 

So much that all routes end up to hell

The glow of fake love withers from her face

Her body turns all black and blue

She lays on the floor like carnelian maple leaves 

strewn hither dither in autumn hue 

It’s not just her body that gets scarred

Her soul, her being, her existence all get bruised

But for the sake of family name and respect

She endures the pain and smiles through it

How long will this go on

How long will she be able to withstand

Nobody can comprehend, nobody can reckon

What goes on behind the closed doors

Her tolerance, her forbearance, her endurance

Will give up for sure one day

Let us all join hands against Domestic Violence

Before that tragic day.

-Rekha Mittal Gupta