THE DEMONS THAT FOLLOW

Claws that type behind a screen
Looks that crack my esteem
When did the big bad people
become one team

They track me every place I go
They look at me
Even when I don’t know
They comment
On my smile, On my body
On my mind, They lament

About my character
My price, My cries And
If not docile, not gullible
I am declared unlovable

With no repercussions in sight
And no conscience on their mind
The anger, The hate
The negativity, Typed in virtuality
Affect me in reality

The WEB of attention
The addiction to validation
The constant humiliation
Distort self-worth
Forcing imitation

With beauty standards
Reaching the sky
Finding a confident little girl
Has become a distant cry

And suddenly, We cut and edit
Not just photos, Not just videos
But parts of us
Version made to fit in
Versions made to exist
To satisfy minds purely sexist

And Somehow
Personality became secondary
Objectification became necessary
And neither skin nor blood
Just borrowed grace
Made me human, In their gaze

Jaskirat Kaur Chhabda

Intern

BV(DU) Dental College & Hospital, Pune