When A Woman Laughs

by Nalini Priyadarshni

There are hundreds of ways to silence a woman

stare her down if she happens to laugh out loud

in public space especially in the presence of men 

where she should be whispering at side lines

make your dismay quite apparent 

if it fails to mortify her

try growling under your breath in a threatening way

tell her in no uncertain terms that it is highly unfeminine

rebuke her for her unruly behaviour 

show your outrage by labelling her bad, wicked, vamp 

(Take your pick out of endless possibilities) 

ask her if she is unwell and needs a doctor

scoff at her in most derisive terms

cite scriptures, if possible, to put her down

failing that, mention decades old tele-serial to jeer at her

remind her how Ram and Laxman helped rishis and munis

clear forests with their mastery over bows and arrows

and how lucky she is that India has changed 

where laughing is now controlled by mere insults

quote your great grandmother prophesying

fall of the house where loud laughter of women resonates

take a handkerchief and stuff it in her mouth

encourage her to wrap herself in tiny bundle

that occupies no extra space, 

seen perhaps but not heard

better still, she should merge into furniture

or disappear into kitchen

never to be heard again

for nothing sends patriarchy scuttling 

under covers of propriety

faster than rambunctious peals of laughter

emanating from rubicund lips

* * * * *

Nalini Priyadarshni has been writing poetry and other stuff for almost a decade and has been published worldwide in literary magazines and journals. Her poems have been widely anthologized and collected in Doppelganger in My House and Lines Across Oceans, which she co-authored with the late D. Russel Micnhimer.  Her recent publications include Better Than Starbucks, Different Truths, Duane’s PoeTree, The Ugly Writers, Counter Currents and more.