All of a sudden

All of a sudden, there was no space left for a shy woman. Everyone admired a savage one, one who snaps back raises hands first smokes a cigarette go on a solo trek.

All of a sudden A shy man was cute, but a humble woman was still timid.

I see my grandmother, how she savaged her silences and how her pauses are feared. How she cooked her regard with blood and sweat, without lighting a single cigarette.

All of a sudden A man’s sacrifice became modesty, but a woman’s was still a norm.

Can we not carry our labor with grace and glamour? Like my grandmother, how she made sacrifices look so cool climbing mountains on her own, collecting stories to tell as good as a solo trek.

All of a sudden A man offering help became a symbol of moving forward, but a woman asking for one was still a sign of self-doubt.

All of a sudden, there was no space left for a shy woman.