Identity

This is for to Eugi’s Weekly Prompt– Identity.

Being born to our families and in our country, we have many identities that become attached to us- race, gender, caste, class, religion, nationality among many others. Often we get so involved in establishing, changing or denying one or more of these tags, that we forget to rise above these man-made classifications to evolve as rational human beings.

Born as a girl, in the land of men;

I searched for light, in the darkest hour of the night.

Taught to pray and eat in a certain way;

I yearned to question, this very strange notion.

Labels inherited, by virtue of our birth;

Tagged and raised, the rich and poor alike.

As the storm of Religious strife, shook our ancient roots;

Unhinged men wrecked havoc, seeking the elusive glory of divinity.

Caste and Class, they battled for dominance;

Each struggling to break, centuries of fettered existence.

Nationality bound, her citizens firm;

As grief’s growing tide, swept through the land.

Un-blinking I gazed, at the vast moonless sky;

Standing knee-deep in blood, before the shrine of peace.

Humanity wept, as her world fragmented;

And divided we stood, united through dissent.