I GIVE THEE EVERYTHING
I bare my soul for thou to see.
Praise or judge; but can you ignore me?
Life’s countless shades passed by; I
freely gave.
Draped in myriad hues,
I strived arduously, unmindful of any
dues.
Challenges galore; hurdles aplenty;
I ploughed along with sobriety.
I braved life’s labyrinthine journey
without fear or worry for self.
Giving generously, unconditionally
with no bias or favour; responded
instinctively.
Helping, reaching out, dictated my every
thought, act,
with love, care, returned worthy gifts,
securely wrapped.
At their apathy, I remained detached,
Deftly, avoided ever getting trapped.
Stood on one leg, to get chores done,
looking at the brighter side, to remain
sane.
Listened endlessly to the chatter,
kept mute, though I had a lot to offer.
Keeping aside my desires,
busied myself, fulfilling others,
entirely.
Sacrificed my dreams at the altar
just followed; though they were far
inferior.
Forgave an umpteentimes -
though the other didn’t rue.
I have surrendered willingly,
to make another, a better person, wholly.
Never acted under coercion
nor wilted easily in a discussion.
Was neither weak nor lacking in
confidence,
when I acquiesced to the many
unreasonable requests.
I was no doormat; banish all wrong
impressions,
I nurtured; gave to others, new hope,
directions.
I built mine too, with the same zealous
mission.
To steer the keel, I get immense solace;
to anchor to a shore, maybe;
so as to make the world a better place.
Cries for peace, harmony, fill the air
my daring deeds blend, with dizzying
flair.
IN PRAISE OF A WOMAN
O woman, you are a
gift to humanity.
Ever grateful to
your gracious presence,
hovering lightly
over us; you are selfless.
O woman, you are
priceless
I bow in reverence
to thee.
O woman, you are
fragile
yet, to carry the
large family’s mantle.
O woman, you are a
pillar of strength
we rely on you in
times of distress.
O woman, you write
the contents,
that we voice in
the milieu.
O woman, you are
the hope, inspiration
to our lives, you
give shape.
O woman, you have
emboldened us
to take on this
world, with your dare.
O woman, you are
wise
we have gained by
your deep insights.
O woman, you
radiate a subtle beauty
lifting dreary
darkness away,
to brightly lighten
up the ambience.
O woman, you
epitomize grace, dignity
of your ways, I am
in awe.
O woman, how do you
muster your inner strength?
To resolve a
crisis, you go to any length.
O woman, you are a
perfectionist
you never err, you
are a towering artist.
O woman, you reach
out passionately;
indifference, as
you abhor, greatly.
O woman, as a
homemaker
you stitch together
everlasting relationships.
O woman, your
sensitive nature is endearing
you have a magical
touch; your tender care is so healing.
O woman, you always
side with the underdogs
taking up cases,
that have long been forgotten.
O woman, as a
professional, you have created waves
you have shown us
the way and how!
O woman, you are
strong, proud, independent
you have chosen to
move ahead only on merit.
O woman, you are
not deterred by obstacles
for you, life is not
measured by numerals.
O woman, you are so
alive, so captivating
befriending you,
has been so refreshing.
We revere you
deeply,
for us, life has
taken a new meaning.
GIRL CALLED TIA
I cried, laughed incessantly, all the
time.
I was thought insane, to both ways chime.
My little daughter Tia lost her battle
with life;
no longer could she ever, take the
strife.
Elaborate ceremonies were performed to
bid her farewell.
Why was she denied basic civility, when
alive and well?
Masks adorned faces to hide the exact
intent
they could fool others; I knew their true
sentiment.
I bristled with anger at this vile show
I stood apart, refusing with them to take
the last bow.
Tia, had been a bright, sprightly girl of
eight years,
bouncing back after every debacle, without
a fear.
She embraced life with joy and fortitude
refusing to be curtailed by regressive
attitudes.
She chose to emulate the free will of the
birds
engaging with life; not willing to be
left behind.
She was a good student; I was her only
teacher;
to grow up in a hurry, she was eager.
She also learnt from the birds, wind,
nature;
we all selflessly helped to nurture her.
Tia saw a lot in her short life span.
How could she be of use, she was no man?
To many, she was an unnecessary burden
they resented her stay in their abode.
She was confined to do arduous tasks
what worth would it be- she would ask,
Is it fair? Shouldn’t she have a chance
too?
Nature didn’t differentiate, then why
should humans?
She sought answers from different
quarters,
silence greeted her. Why? She wondered.
I was a silent witness to her travails;
we were caught up in the same maze.
Her body gave up in the end;
from the atrocities she couldn’t defend.
How long will these injustices prevail?
Women no longer can afford to remain
frail.
Clarion call: we have to bail ourselves
out;
redouble our inner strength, energies.
Future is bright; we need to tread
purposefully;
the winds have changed, the past we need
to bury!
Dr Usha Sridhar graduated
with a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, India, and has spent several
decades as a researcher in India and overseas and many years as an entrepreneur
exploring applications intersecting economics, data analytics and network
science. She is now an independent
researcher and lives in Bangalore. She is passionate about writing and her
poems, short stories have appeared in blog sites and several anthologies. She
has also authored three collections of poems, titled ‘Life Matters’, ‘Drenched
in Reverie’ and ‘Heightened Sense’. She is the author of a collection of short
stories titled ‘Women’s Corner’. She also loves travel, photography and is an
avid bird watcher. She is a Bharat award winner for her short story in the 2018
Poiesis Competition.
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