POETRY

Never Taught To Be Human

We’re failing as parents, as teachers, and as a society

Photo by Wylly Suhendra on Unsplash

Never taught
consent,
but dress codes
but gender roles.

Never taught
to speak up,
but to endure
but to be submissive.

Never taught
humor borders,
but ‘harmless jokes’
but normalized remarks.

Never taught
to be righteous,
but religious
but conventional.

Never taught
to be sensitive,
but degrading
but belittling.

Never taught
liberation,
but societal norms
but whataboutery.

Why do we not teach
to be human,
not a man
not a woman.

©Arundhati Thakur 2020