The Brat's Ballad

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Triggers are really funny. As much as you try to suppress or look past them, they pop up like scalding hot toast, leaving a burn or two in its wake. If there is a word associated with me, since childhood, or since I can remember, it is 'Brat'. Everyone I knew called me a brat. Family, relatives, friends, teachers and strangers. Of course each one used their own version of the word. I asked too many questions and was rebellious, they said. It will not bode well for me, they said. I'll end up alone and broke, they said. I'll never be successful with this attitude, they said. While they continue to say this, I'm unapologetically living my best life with a successful career and the love of my life by my side.

I thought this no longer triggered me. When Collin's dictionary announced their word of the year as 'Brat', all my layers of defense came crashing down. I was faced with all those questions again, but this time I had an answer.

Here's to all the women who have been called brats for living life by their own choice. May there be more of us!

Confident, independent and hedonistic

'Brat' is declared the word of the year

While for men this is a praise

For women it is met with sneer

Yet she struts in stilettos, head held high

With a daring smile that doesn’t lie

The boardroom whispers as she walks

A fierce reminder, actions talk

With painted nails and polished grit

She crushes glass ceilings bit by bit

Her voice, a melody sharp and clear

Commands the room without fear

They call her a brat, they say she’s bold

But she’s a story yet untold

She laughs in faces framed by doubt  

Their rules are ones she’ll do without

She’s not afraid to bend the societal norm

To rewrite paths, to change the form

Where lines are drawn, she scribbles free 

Her life, her rules and her destiny

A feminist in pearls and lace

Her wit, her armor, sharp with grace

She’s fire, she’s ice, she’s warmth, she’s steel

She's also unapologetically real

From daring dreams she takes her cues

Her passions and hobbies regularly brews

Not limited to the kitchen and motherhood

She's paving her way for the greater good

For every “no,” she finds a “yes”  

Never limited to the length of her dress

At her love stories they shake their heads

As she rewrites the books they’ve read

So here’s to her, the OG brat, the queen

The fighter fierce, the power seen

She’ll carve her throne in her own way

And reign in shades they’ll never sway