Fair, Lovely, and Shattered
Updated: Mar 13
here in Hindustan
beauty is not measured
by resilience
here dark-skinned damsels
brew mixtures of lemon
and curd
and yearn for a milky glow
a bleached, bloodless fairness
that a handsome groom
searches for
layer after layer
remedy after remedy
they look at their lighter counterparts
and say
strip me of this melanin
and grace me with the pallid whiteness
that graces your own skin
here in Hindustan
we associate caste with color
where we have this loathsome
inherent hunger
for acceptance
from a society that screamed
colonizer, colonizer
here in Hindustan
we exist in a pretentious irony
where we worship the mighty Kali
goddess of strength
raven-black hair
lions and serpents at her feet
her divine inky complexion