For most women, coming to terms with the changes in their bodies is not a natural or easy process. Because even before we can understand how our bodies are changing and developing, society expects us to ‘hide’ the changes
The societal pressure to hide rather than accept our changing bodies is exactly what writer and storyteller Helly Shah talks about, in her poem ‘Dear Breasts‘, which she performed for UnErase Poetry.
She begins the poem by talking about how, for most of her life, breasts have been a source of self-doubt, or worse, ‘objects’ meant for the satisfaction for men.
She talks about how women, including her mother (as a teenager), have often been groped and forced to silence. And yet, we look at our breasts as an ‘offering’ for men, rather than a body part that needs proper care and attention.
She ends her piece by talking about how, finally, she has started on the path to embracing her body, and it begins with loving and looking after her breasts, no matter the ‘shapes and sizes you (the breasts) would grow into’. You can see the complete poem here:
All images are screenshots from the video on YouTube, unless specified otherwise.
Design credits: Nupur Agrawal