when i say all women are witches
i do not mean we have pointy hats or black cats
or cloaks that billow in the wind
i mean all women have known fear well enough to spin
magic from its dregs
our minds are cauldrons that spill over
onto our bodies
(how do you scrub the imprints of history from your skin?)
when i say all women are witches
it follows that all women float when thrown in the ocean-
when clergymen put us to trial at their altar
drowning us as the word of their God thrives
we will meet him in the dark blue depths
and tell him it was hellfire that kept us alive.
that we are one part devil and one part deep blue sea
so why do we struggle to keep our heads above water?
when i say all women are witches
it implies the existence of witch hunts
somewhere, the moon rises
someone's story is muted once again
by the howling of the wolves
which sounds suspiciously like "not all men"
a news channel debates whether she was asking for it
a symphony of slaps goes unheard on the third floor
a mother raises her child to hate her own body
an unsuspecting teenager is labeled a whore
but when i say all women are witches
it also implies the existence of covens.
and somewhere else, under the same moon,
it is witching hour
thirteen women sit in a circle, laying tear-stained silences out to dry
reminiscing about skipping class to gossip over chai
class never told them that laughter and rebellion can be synonyms
and in that moment, the oxford dictionary gains 13 new definitions for sisterhood
it is the freedom of dancing to an overplayed party song
and the confidence of not knowing the lyrics, but singing along
it is the lightning-fast replies to "hey, need to rant"
and how closets become interchangeable to borrow a pair of pants
it is vulnerability strong enough to move mountains
because in a system that works against us, at least we have each other.
it is an elixir that tastes like hope.
it is hope.
~ Shreya Khobragade
Shreya is a 17-year old student who hates introductions and writing in third person, but loves irony. She specialises in helping people feel comfortable, referencing TikToks, and making dad jokes. Apart from poetry, she also enjoys art and dance. Reach out to her at @shreyadoesthings on Instagram!
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