For the women with nightmares, bruised hips, fat lips, bodies that are turned into statistics and wrists that are put under a microscope.

For the women who have had the courage to be loud, and for those who had the courage to be quiet.

For the women who seize up when they hear a distasteful joke and for those who spent too long laughing along because its easier to say nothing than to say anything at all.

For the women who sleep with all of the lights on, who don't leave the house after sunset, the women who feel unworthy of a voice, unworthy of their own energy and time, and never mind that of others.

For the women who just want to simply be women without fear, without pain, without their guard up.

For the women who just want to simply be... Me too.

Expose yourself to pain,
let it wash over your body like a long awaited sunrise.
Let it cleanse your blood and
coarse through your veins.

Pain was not created to be fought,
the bite love leaves on the way out.
The heart must hurt
before it begins to heal.

My dear when your world begins to fall,
your hands begin to tremble.
Open your heart
and let the hurt begin to heal you.

Diwali is here
Lights and colour everywhere
A boom and a bang
gifts and joys to share

Little girls and little boys
Dancing around with joy
Watching them from a distance
Was the little shoe shine boy

With his grubby hands and tattered wear
Black lined face and ***** hair
All he wanted was a little toy
But who would share with a poor shoe shine boy

His mother sewed clothes
Father, he had none
His house was a hovel
Clothes he had but one

His stomach growled
Hunger gnawing at the pit
looked at the rich people eating
And Shuffled his feet

The car door opened
He was called aloud
His heart froze and trembled
Wer they to shout?

They gave a 20 rupee note
smiled and said "No shoe to shine".
The lil boy stared and thought
"Is this a dream of mine?"

So with his bag, brush and ***** rag
Leapt the lil boy high in the air
His happiness knew no bounds
He had his joy to share

Ran to his home, to the little tattered hut
Forgetting about hunger and toy
He walked in a rich man
That happy little shoe shine boy!

When I was young
I used to think
Love was as simple
As that instant "click"

When I was older I met someone
We'd talk for hours
We'd talk about everything
It felt comfortable

But soon enough
Paradise began to slip away
We had plenty of love, but we lacked time
With a heavy heart we parted

And then I met an old man
He told me this, too late
"Regarding love, two things matter:
the man, and the time you both invest"