Clear sightedness!

If you claim to be made of higher level thoughts
If you claim to have eyes giving you a clear vision
Pray
Why is it that you see my body as the bait
And hook on to it
Without even wondering at the consequences?

Why, like the fish
You shall certainly end up deprived of your life
Of your freedom and of your pleasures
Like the fish
The power you carry around you shall evaporate
And like the fish
You shall find yourself in a strange environment
One in which you shall be devoid of abilities,
Subjected to the whims of those controlling you!

My body belongs to me
The responsibility to make of it an abode of the divine
Lies not only unto my shoulders
But unto yours as well
Dare not to see me as the medium of pleasure
Dare not to see as the vehicle of physical delectation
Rather,
See me as I am,
The carrier of my soul
The garden allowing the rose to bloom
The river feeding the garden
The rain supplying the river
The clouds producing the rain
The perfect power acting behind this grand show
The perfect power allowing you and me
To be!

Yes, do cleanse your vision
Filter it
Through higher levels of thoughts
And let me walk by, as I am
Let me earn respect
Let me attempt at finding life beautiful
Instead of having me
Scarred and bleeding
Crying, lamenting at life
Seeking for the type of protection
Which I don’t believe can exist among men!

Anoucheka Gangabissoon is a Primary School Educator in Mauritius. She writes poetry and short stories as hobby. She considers writing to be the meaning of her life as she has always been influenced by all the great writers and wishes to be, like them, immortalized in her words. Her works can be read on poetrysoup.com and she had also appeared in various literary magazines like SETU, Different Truths, Dissident Voice, In Between Hangovers Press, WISH Press, Tuck’s Magazine, Blue Mountain Review, among others. She has also been published in Duane’s Poetree and also in two anthologies for the Immagine and Poesia group. Her poems are often placed in free online contests Read other articles by Anoucheka.