You are NOT allowed- a poem by Hira Yousuf

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED

You are not allowed

To make me feel fat
Or to make me feel as if being fat
Gives me no right to occupy the space I do

You are not allowed

To make me feel ugly
Or to make me feel as if being ugly
Makes me less of a person

You are not allowed

But most of all
You are not allowed

To leer at me
I do not give you permission
To speak about me amongst yourselves
Through your vulgar yellow teeth
And your trained peripheral vision
Talk about my silhouette
Dissect each body part I own
Till I no longer feel like myself
Till I start feeling like I do not exist
Except as separate pieces
That can never be whole
As I cross my arms across my breasts
Tug my shirt down
Try to look a little less visible
A little less there
A little less solid
No
You are not allowed to make me feel like that
You are not allowed to make me
Lesser
Than I am
Than I could be

You are not allowed

To make me feel
A little bit less
Like myself
Each time I draw a breath

You
Are
Not
Allowed

Hira Yousuf is an 18 year old student pursuing Engineering in Karachi, Pakistan