The Red Phoenix

Illustration Courtesy: https://www.apnnews.com/8th-edition-of-india-art-festival-to-woo-the-city-with-5000-artworks-from-550-artists-and-40-galleries/

From the ashes I rise just as the phoenix rose,

With a shattered heart and twinkling eyes,

With a smile so bright and lipstick so loud,

I wear a red saree again,

Since my childhood I loved wearing a bindi

So I adorned myself with one,

Not red to be precise I'm a lover of black.

I held my lifeless husband years ago,

They came knocking down to my door to tie me in shackles of colourless life,

From my bangles to my payals to my red chunni he loved me in,

They took all they could leaving me without a life,

Handing me a white saree but they forgot,

White can be painted with any colour.

I CHOSE RED!!!