Lakshmi's Eyes

Only the eyes remain as they were. The rest of her face is ravaged by acid. Acid thrown by two boys on a cycle. Just another dare. She combs her long hair carefully. Plaits it neatly away from her face. No curtain of hair to hide behind. Puts a bindi in the battleground of keloids, scars and uncooked skin. She wears them well. The boys genuflect in a temple, mothers kissing saffron kerchief covered heads before they gel their hair and go on another prowl. This is what  men do, you see. Lakshmi puts another layer of cream on her burns and then stands behind a beauty counter selling bindis and lipsticks to girls with unblemished faces, like their eyes. Like her eyes.

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Written by

jhilmil-breckenridge

For You?

Written by

jhilmil-breckenridge

Published: Mar 8, 2016
LinesWords: 22123

Notes: I wrote this poem to bring awareness of the issue of acid burn victims in India.

“…You will hear and you will be told that
the face you burned is the face I love now…
…Then you will know that I am alive,
free and thriving and living my dreams.”
—Laxmi, acid attack survivor and activist, disfigured at age 15

Internet: Indian acid attack victim reads poem, being felicitated by
Michelle Obama, http://www.buzzfeed.com/tasneemnashrulla/indian-acid-attack-survivor-reads-a-moving-poem-about-her-ex#.bqr6Pl0Nz, accessed January 12, 2016
Tags: #eyes #day #attack #acid #india #activism #womens #laxmi

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