Do you see the fury in her eyes?
Blazing crimson embers radiate from her
As she stares down anyone
Who dares to look at her.
Do you see the warning in her eyes?
Like flashing lights,
Asking others to keep their distance.
One hand in her pocket –
Gripping a key between her fingers,
Ready to attack.
Do you see the fear in her eyes?
The anger attempts to mask it,
But her heart is pounding
As she thinks of all the sisters she lost
And hopes she never has any use
Of the can in her bag.
A smile of relief
As she sets foot into the women’s compartment.
Amid blazing fires of women warring for seats,
You can see the love in her eyes
As she’s surrounded by her kind —
United by experiences, their lives intertwined.
The fires unite into a deeper shade of anger
As a man tries to step foot
And ruin the bubble of safety
That lasts all but an hour
Every day of their lives.
Do you see their eyes turn red —
In fury and warning and fear —
The second they step off the train?
Hands grasping for safety,
Eyes darting around
Music pausing, fake phone calls starting.
Do you see as she puts on her jacket,
Covers herself up as she walks home?
The flame in her eyes
Makes them look away.
No blood was spilled —
But that’s just today.
Will they look past her anger tomorrow?
Notice the fear seeping through?
Will the keys and spray and countless videos work?
Or will the next story be hers?
The ground turns crimson from blood somewhere
As someone else’s facade is torn down,
While she remains safe.
For now.
shields of fury
Poem by Deeti Gupta