When will this be over - poem by my 13 yr old niece

When will this be over

I can’t step out of my house alone

All my life, I have to live with a fear

But they, they don’t punish those criminals

But object on what I wear!!

There are hundreds of crimes against me

But they don’t care

I’m standing here alone for myself

And those criminals do whatever they dare

I’m harassed everywhere

There is no respect left for me

There is a question I have to ask

When will this be over?

What will these new laws do?

If I’m not safe when I’ve not even entered this world

Those doctors kill me in my mother’s womb

Just because I’m a girl

My parents send me to another home when I marry

Expecting I’ll be safe there

But there, I’m burned for dowry

Money is all about they care

I’m embarrassed everywhere

There is no life left for me

I have a question to ask

When will this get over?

I’m afraid to travel in a public place

Because I’ve seen them throwing acid at her

It ruined her vision

It ruined her face

Are safety laws only made to be written in the constitution?

These enacted laws have made me feel weak

Don’t they require implementation?

All such laws have vanished into thin air

I’m harassed everywhere

There is nothing left for me

I have question to ask

When will this get over?   

Leaders have come and gone

But the safety issues has continued

They make a numbers of promises before the election

But after, they say there’s nothing they can do

Increasing crimes, increasing criminals

But no one finds them punishable

It’s the girls who are punished whose freedom is taken away

Everything seems like a nightmare

There is no one left with me

When will this get over?

 -by Tanya Bala                                                                                                                    

        IX -D