It is beautiful, it is powerful 
Draping me like a queen 
It is elegant, it is personal 
It’s not for you to intervene 

How I wear it, when I wear it 
Or If I wear it at all 
It is not yours to abuse
In your chauvinistic thrall 

It is mine to choose and mine alone 
If I drape it on one side
An embellishment, an adornment 
Not a holy tent for me to hide 

I choose if indeed I cover
My head or not at all 
Mine to choose mine to use 
To wrap around me like a shawl 

In the end my garb, my hijab
My dupatta and my scarf
Are not for you to politicise 
To legislate on my behalf 

It’s mine to choose and mine alone
Not for you to rant and rail
To demonise and brutalise
Scrambling into realms of faith

It’s just free flowing fabric
There’s no honour in my veil
My virtue lies inside of me
And its not your holy grail

Angels never hide their light
They shine in its bright glow
I too choose a life for me where
Im free to thrive and grow

It has always been my choice to make
Not for you nor your most devout
Where I’m radiant and dignified 
With my dupatta or indeed without.