K. Pankajam, INDIA

NEXT TO THE CREATOR                     

While the moon sits just under the clouds

and chilly wind rocks the trees,

swaying to the flow of some splendid melody

hidden within the pounding percussion of hearts

he and she both having vowed to be together

a sacrament for life, in the real sense

each hunt treasure in the other, fervent,

in the oldest game on earth,

at the end of which she hides it within herself

while he remains a slice of the pleasure

around the enchanting curve of her spine

gobbling every pleat of her body.

She willfully trains her mind and body

to seek pleasure in pains, in all intensity,

considers it as her absolute chunk,

prepares to shed pride in her pretty build

the size and shape of it till then she fostered,

processes her blood to turn into white,

gives up sleep while others eschew hatred

and truly her sacrifices get rewarded

having placed next to the Creator.    

BEING A WOMAN

In quiescence I preach;

I take pride being a woman,

would like to look feminine

with sweet shyness and blushing cheeks,

yet blanket my feminine trails

like the ‘touch-me-not’ leaves

annoying compliments don’t enslave me. 

Melanin in skin decides one’s attributes

soft rhythm in trots accentuates traits

my body is a temple of nurturing powers

none assigned with rights to relegate it.

I wish to admit my mistakes, 

to show my strength through it and grow,

not a weakness it is, I counter,

Don’t take for granted, or brand me timid.

I want to be everything,

nothing at all at the same time

be smart, but not appear smarter than you 

in your guess precisely, not to hurt your ego,

maintain peace between us is my motto

as we travel together between life and death.         

           

I want to be independent,

be on my own to boost my confidence,

not that I do not need you,

you can be the shade I embrace to be in light

like the maple leaves to the butterflies in rain.        

We are different, but no discrimination

mutually reliant we are, none superior.

You and I are fed with the same milk

both at birth, and after death too.

*AGNI PAREEKSHA

Time slips by and I get digressed at times

putting down my thoughts then and there

or attaining my plans as charted

with your silly conduct

outwardly innocuous, but conscious

but it never affects those inscribed in my brain

and I believe, swear and reaffirm

it gives me a firm grip on the sands of time

makes me more balanced, matured and perfect

for which I should thank you.

Robbing of riches can be easy

invisible wealth of words, not.

Like a bouncing ball

the more you suppress,

with more power I bounce back.

Energy that drains out in my body  

gets crowded in my heart and soul

and it multiplies with every smudge of abuse.

Like malleable metals hardened by heat

your trials by fire only make me tough.

And I want you to realize:

What I strive for is what I am slated for.

* Agni Pareeksha=Trial by fire

                       

K. Pankajam, Dy. Manager/Finance (Retd.), BHEL, is a bilingual poet and novelist, writing in English and Malayalam.  She has eighteen books to her credit, including ten poetry collections, one of them translated into French.  She is one of the editors of the journal ‘Teesta Review’.  Her articles, poems, book reviews/papers have been published widely and anthologized. Her poetry has been discussed in detail in the book ‘Femininity-Poetic Endeavours’. She is the recipient of Oriental Poetry Award 2016, Rabindranath Tagore Award for Poetry International 2017 and 2018, Poiesis Award for Short Stories International 2017, 2018 and 2019 and Shree Atal Behari Vajpayee Award 2019.  She has also been conferred the Rock Pebbles National Poetry Award 2019 that she will receive at the Rock Pebbles Poetry Fest on 07 April, 2019 at Bhubaneswar, India.

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Women, Power & Creativity :: Setu, March 2019