My Body is My Temple

By: Suchismita Choudhury

My body is my temple, how dare you talk ill of it?
How dare you act like it's your property?
How dare you call me in vain? 
How dare you say I put my brains on good looks and not good books?

I want to break free of all the stigma you have hooked on to me,
And all the comments latched on to my reputation based on what I wear.
Oh! those vengeful stares.
Have you forgotten I am human too?

Why is my identity limited to how big my breasts are or how tight my ass is? 
Why do you decide if I'm beautiful, if I have passed?
I could judge you too, you know?
But when I look at boys I think of candle light dinner dates and soulmates.

I am not a bait that belongs to your bedroom.
I belong in the mountains where I can inhale fresh air without the fear of being raped. 
I belong to a conference room where I talk and you listen.
I don't have to prove my beauty by ticking off everything on your checklist.