RAPE

You were disbelieving,
were you not?
In your innocence
You never imagined
Such things could happen
They weren't real.
Those near and dear to you
Were neither so near
Nor so dear.
Your screams echoed through empty skies
Birds flew away.
The wind blew hard
And branches swayed
Mother Earth smothered your terrified cries
Your body you realize
Is not a temple
Because there is no God.
Lowered to a commodity
Your body is not your own
One last thought remains
Mother, where are you?
The red rivulet
From your nostril
Declares
Nothing remains.

DOWN MY LANE
Down my lane
there are no strings
there are no 'musts'
it's your space
to be who you are -
uncompromising
and uncompromised,
you breathe deeply
taking in freedom
with every breath.