Am I O(!) so brave…!: A poem 

Back in school – was I so brave? 

Even as I remember counting 

the strands of the universe 

to recollect my past lives! Is bravery 

acquired(?)… or does it need to be 

remembered, retrieved from the  

flakes of your gene pool, DNA or RNA? I just 

think this world is not conditioned 

to understand bravery! How often 

are the brave misjudged, calumnised, 

or beaten down to death and defeat?!! 

I love to think that my courage resurrected 

those valiant old haunts from their 

gravestones! You know those proclaimed so-called  

epitaphs that go as history are our blindfolds! 

I want to rewrite history books, would 

anyone care to share the onus with me? 

Europe is cuckold – not a liveried truth- 

soldier! We must have the drums and 

banners of many of those vanquished 

re-marching at the frontiers!!! Your  

gravestones are not seashells appropriated 

by a condescending sea of authorship!  

Coming back to being brave, myself, 

I remember feeling anxiety as a child, 

at stepping out of home, the embryonic  

yoke of Mum and Dad, for school! 

I was bullied by Muslim boys at school 

for being Christian. And, in turn, I was 

bullied by some Christian boys, who were 

envious of my talents and sublime wisdom! 

But I remember, how brave I was even then 

for not succumbing, while being patient! 

I can say, very proudly today, that bravery 

was always the hallmark of my existence! 

I recovered and retained it to give me the  

fulsomeness, to fight to gain back everything  

that was mine, that was taken away… that I 

loved unconditionally and refused to relinquish!!!!