Her jingling anklets
chafe her delicate feet.
Her clinking glass bangles
draw blood when broken.
Her priceless gold earrings
drag down her earlobes.
Her veil, protective from nazr*,
curtails vision, confining her agoraphobic.
Her sindoor**, the crown of matrimony,
pushes her into dull domesticity.
Her husband, the protector
doesn't hesitate to slap her.
She is Shakti***-
that's her greatest weakness.
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Some terms need to be explained. They are-
*nazr- evil eyes of lusty men.
**sindoor- a smear of vermilion worn along the parting of her hair, indicating that she is married.
***Shakti- has many meanings. They are-
1)Personification of the divine female, sadly repressed in my poem.
2)Strength.
3)Agent of change, which she can be.
4) Cosmic energy
That's the sad story of many women in India.
ReplyDeleteI like this very much, you have given us real insight here. It's a powerful and enlightening piece. Well done.
ReplyDeleteLove the new blog, love that you using your full name, love that are giving voice to human rights! This is wonderful. A powerful piece here, containing much within its folds. You will go far Madhumakhi.
ReplyDeleteWomen have forgotten that since the beginning they used to rule side by side as equally powerful beings in their own right. Women in the 60's began a movement to claim it back. In the west women are seen now on a much more equal basis as men in most things but, still not, all.
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely prose from you. Sad because of the woman's obvious subjugation such as the sindoor to indicate she is married/owned.
Beautiful writing and I enjoyed the explanations of the expressions you used, too.
I appreciated the explanations about your poem. Your poetry is filled with profound insight.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for commenting :)
ReplyDeleteDaydreamer said it all! I loved that post.
ReplyDeleteWonderful image. I could see/feel your character. The explainations at the end of your poem helped me experience your poem even better. Great Poem!~
yes! thank you for this. beautiful and important.
ReplyDeleteYou have taken an important issue and given it voice. Yet under the veil, I hope she knows how powerful she really is. Keeping going under oppression requires more strength than one needs being "free", and she is doing that. Thought-provoking poem, madhumakhi. Well done. Women rock!
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteWoW! Such a visually sad poem...all too real for some women.
Thanks for the explanations.
Awesome write from you Madhumakhi!
This was sad, but well expressed. I too appreciated the explanations at the end. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteMyrna
mydailyspirit.net
There is slavery of the body and slavery of the spirit. So few options . . . yet.
ReplyDelete