Its Been Long

Its been long.

Its been long since I felt free.

Free from the pressure,

Free from the pain,

Free from the expectations.

Its been long,

Its been long since I was free from the pressure.

The pressure of “what will they say”,

“What will they think?”

“What will they do?”

Its been long since my shoulders were hunched.

Its been long,

Its been long since I was free from the pain.

From the pain of being silenced.

From the pain of being overlooked.

From the pain of not being able to bear with my own pain.

Its been long,

Its been long since I was free from the expectations.

The expectations to push forward even when I am broken.

The expectations to have my chin up and smile.

The expectations of keeping up appearances

Its been long.

Its been long since I felt whole