I thought I was free
Until I had to lock the main door
Deliberating on the interview ahead
What if I get the job
And I have to leave the house
Which was my father’s
And his father’s too
Am I really free to lock and leave
Without a feeling of guilt
I was the watchdog of my ancestors greatness
Which I took with pride yet strained myself
Do I have the freedom to decide
To stay or to leave

I thought I was independent
And the job did come with compromise on salary
They allowed me to stay in my father’s house
In my motherland
And now I have a dream of my own house
Which I can give to my children
And say
Yes, this is your mother’s house
At which point I realized
I have got a job and did not win a lottery
And all the past years I thought I was independent
But what kind of independence I wonder now
With freedom of all kinds
Can help me build a house – my home.