Lollipop, candy, gold, a quick sugar rush, 
The strands of our hair to be properly brushed 

Cover, conceal, hide behind our culture and ‘tahzeeb’,
Shy, pretty, attractive but also not easy to concede 

And yet not too confident to be able to breach,
The kind of vibe they approve of has to not have ‘excess’ self esteem 

These rules and traditions that you set in your little cobblestone,
Premeditated guidance on who shall be good and sweet and who shall truly be badass and rule 

Let us unleash our inner indignation,
For it is when we truly become porous into sand and dust that we become human 

Lollipop, candy, gold, a quick sugar rush, 
We are none of that bullshit and please, throw away that useless, overly-sophisticated, expensive hairbrush 

We are a like Phoenix, a flame; bright and wild unlike your unimaginative dreams,
But we know that you would really prefer your evening chai to be less fiery and instead have some sugary cream

But this is not about your preferences,
This is about us and our unbrushed, free-flowing tresses 

May our tresses, our minds, our hearts, our choices and our all-encompassing rights over our own bodies always prevail. 

Mera Jism Meri Marzi 

By Iqraa