'Of hypocrisy and cheekbones ' - poem by Shahnaz Habib

 'Of hypocrisy  and cheekbones ' - poem by Shahnaz Habib

I request the readers to read the poem first from the above link and then my review. Thanks.

Shahnaz’s is certainly a simple poem. The reader gets her instantly. But is there still anything deep or subtle in the poem? We find Shahnaz highlights the cultural interdictions exclusive only for females. In the Eastern cultures, reticence is expected from her in many aspects. She must not laugh aloud, shake hands with a male, must not wear a dress that may expose her and so on and so forth. But except the upholding of patriarchy do these proscriptions have any impact? The spontaneous appreciation of an opposite sex personality with striking features, cannot be decimated from a young mind, be it a male or female. But these taboos are only for the females and not for men. The girl in the poem feels only cloddish for admiring a boy’s looks and not guilty, but she is canny and uses another bus the next day not only to avoid him but to survive in the system safely. We find people choosing pretense instead of cogency in all walks of life. Adulthood is all about deciphering second person’s perfidy utterances and clothing own fallacious expressions very diligently neat. This is an endless game we all indulge and we are used to the resultant frailness in all relationships.

Can a daily occurrence open so many windows? That is the strength of this poem.