POETRY AT PAPER POETRY
Shakti — The Power Within
In Sanskrit, Shakti means Power or Energy
Like a mighty seed sprouting,
in the hostile soil
the fetus thrived, as a USG-led- willed abortion got foiled
before she was born, she knew her life of toil
& a Shakti dawned, the way li’l buds uncoil
Brought up as a kid second in line
her brother was the family’s delight
she didn’t mind, took it all in her stride
& kept climbing the ladder,
one step at a time
till it all added up to brawn sublime
Young, beautiful & bright
with flying colors, she reached new heights.
Trailing on her way, through the jibes & stares
that made her feel naked & bare
“Eve teasing”?! Seriously? Who romanticised these acts of terror?
“Sober your dresses — boys will be boys, it must be your error.”
Went on the rants -equally a horror…
Friends, cute crushes & grades left behind, as fast darted the days…
the real fun today is, counting the hard-earned pay
so, she shrugged off the back-slapping praises
& the hints dropped in the process,
rejecting them meant long hours &
staying back at the desk, when all had left
she kept up with all, gaze dead set on her aim…
in the tug of acumen, apathy & appraisal-
she got sturdy to brave it all.
Free tips given by all who can —
“Society judges a single woman”
“Marriage would be ideal & sane”
“& after all, this is the right age”
“Carrying on with the work, it will keep her safe”
So, wedded young — all hunky dory at least initially
new place, new folks, a new job
adapt & adjust — the two wheels rolled the life on
& then a baby was born
Welcome to the club, new mom!
pick between cherub & the job…
Of course, she chose her tiny tot
& hell! made to feel guilty for even thinking there was an option.
Now, balancing between the two kids — a girl & a boy
she tries to unlearn the norms
& raise both in the same form
the kids take even & fair shots
she trains them for a world
that’s unfair, unjust & biased a lot!
This is a message on our apartment WhatsApp group — which led me to pen down this piece.
Well, the festive season in India has just begun — as we bade farewell to Ganesha last week, knocking on the doors is Navratri which will be followed by the festival of lights Diwali next month.
Navratri — also known as Dussehra & Durga Puja, is a 9-day celebration of the 9 incarnations of the Goddess Shakti — the wife & feminine form of Lord Shiva.
It’s ironic, the way we worship the Goddesses but the girl child & woman don’t get a fair deal in our society.
Of course, the above isn’t about the story of every Indian woman but we cross one or the other stage in a lifetime.
Thank you for reading!
