Alone

Riskless and alone,

he is free to go to school,

free to work,

free to roam around cinema halls,

restaurants, and public sphere.

A bull personified, and a lion soul

needn’t be guarded.

He is a gentleman.

Committing adultery,

drinking, and smoking ─

an individual masculine phenomenon ─

disjoined from family’s prestige.

Alone,

she is free to go to school,

free to visit parks and cinema halls,

free to do a job ─

but with a subtle threat of

being robbed, losing prestige

─ lurking around.

How effortlessly he fantasizes

tasting the fragrance,

sucking the nectar of a rose!

What freedom does she cherish

roaming alone,

but with a constant surveillance?

By Bimal Kishore Shrivastwa

From: Nepal