The river of expectation channels us to

The maelstrom of domesticity.

Sweeping us up, spitting us out,

Small droplets insignificant by ourselves, 

Always diverted to the shore of tedium.

The flow has pulled us minnows along the current of society, 

And to presume the value of our bubbles in the waves,

Swallowing us up like a morsel of flesh,

Insignificant stickleback caught in a fluvial of power. 

Pikes; predatory, dangerous, lurking in the shallows.

What would their life be without their prey?

Still their criticism flowing like the Ganga in the monsoon,

“A girl could never” or “ She’s asking for it.”

Individual droplets conjoin to be a fountain of integrity and power,

Standing together like a shoal of fish,

Not letting the net of dominance catch us.

Let us stream to independence,

Let us stream to freedom,

Let us stream into the ocean that was always concealed.

Rational:

This poem discusses the challenges that women face in society, when dealing with sexism and societal norms. It follows a path through history about norms being created, and how they shaped the treatment that us women now face in the present day.