I wrote this poem a year ago, sitting on a beach after a night swim.

It is inspired by the constraints faced by many South Asian women, bound by societal norms that dictate their roles as nurturers and caretakers. It rebels against the monotony of traditional life, using imagery of algae floating freely and being engulfed by the sea as metaphors for breaking free and exploring the unknown.

Chatgpt/Dall-e helped me create these images and fine tune the poem.
……….

Who longs for stillness when the algae floats free?
It drifts, it dances, rootless in the sea.
Carried by unseen tides to unknown shores,
In its freedom, I find my envy soars.
The waves, they splatter, splash, and roam,
Never settling—why then should I call one place home?
My heart yearns to wander, yet here I stand,
Feet rooted in life’s unyielding sand.

You sold me dreams of joy in life’s shared dance,
In conformity, in community’s tight embrace.
Convinced me my solitude was a flaw to face.
Now, I’m drained, lost in this meaningless trance,
Conforming to norms, to a crowd where I hold no stance.

…….

What if time stilled, ceased its endless flight?
Would this moonlit moment be my soul’s delight?
The sea’s whispers, the sand’s gentle kiss,
In the night’s embrace, could I find my bliss?

Why fear the dark, the unknown’s might?
Have you seen the sea, bathed in the moon’s soft light?
When the world sleeps, and shadows take their flight,
Hearing only the waves’ lullaby, a serene, foamy sight.
In this quiet, where magic and poetry ignite,
Swimming in the sea’s embrace, under the moon’s watchful eye,
Have you felt such peace, where only the sea and you lie?