The diced stems

""Diced Stems is a personal coming-of-age collection of poetry about familial, platonic, and romantic relationships shaping my identity. From a young age, I was made aware of the male gaze's power, forcing me into a narrative tied to the female social construct. As a chain to these experiences as a Mauritian Muslim female, I inevitably reacted, developing my character, personality, perspectives, and goals in life. I often became confused about whether I was the villain or the victim in these experiences and whether my opinion was valid.

In my childhood, I recall feeling that I was the villain in stopping a sexual assault from developing by an adult (not by blood) male familial relation. I was warned and told to keep my distance, yet I was still blamed. Relationships with my close family broke out due to my villainous act, and I felt disgusted with myself. Defeated in making the situation any better, I feared that sexual violence could occur. I was isolated in my thoughts, actions, and choices, as nobody wanted to listen to me. It was easier for the man to be the victim and the woman to be the villain, even amongst other females. This male gaze idealisation became a domino effect in my experiences and was shown in the poetry in this personal collection.""