The Burqa

The Burqa

By day, We are hidden.

Everywhere, We are forced

To hide.

The burqa

black, hot, restricting.

Puts a front on us.

Demeaned, misunderstood, captivity.

Coerced to comply.

Threatened with beatings,

Sexual and physical.

Honor killings for

Disobedience.

Misjudged for our attire;

Misinterpreted for something we are not.

Outsiders, longing for something,

something more.

Rebellion is out of the equation.

Being seen as a sexual

object.

The men fear sin in looking at us,

thus is enforcement of outrageous laws.

Power happy males, suppress us

“Under the veil.”

The Koran seeks modesty,

this in turn is

torture.

The men, our leaders have all control.

Under our shade,

We must remain

Musty and claustrophobic

Restricting our vision field,

not even our hairline can be seen.

Other nations ban this garment.

They too see the importance

of women’s freedom.

Small girls,

as premature as five years,

we must start young,

we all must wear this mask.

Our cries for help

come and go,

Unheard.

Invisible in our society, but

not to the outside world.

An act of intolerance,

We need great help.

The long for a free world,

where women are treated

equally,

free from judgment,

free from the

Burqa.