Open Cage

A poem by Sharifa A.

Some women only have half freedom living in their parents’ house
Obstacles of society take the other half
Freedom is not about food or clothes

In most Afghan families
Women get married
Lose the other half of freedom

There’s no difference between wife and servant
Whatever order given to a wife
Like a robot she must obey

No one cares whether she is human or not
No one cares whether she also loves
Living with freedom

Everyone forgets about her needs
Her life is like living
In an open cage

Put a bird in a cage
With its favorite food and water
But it is not happy

Like a wife the bird prefers
Freedom
Which is not being caged

For some wives
Dead is better
Than living like a servant!