Pushmaotee Fowdur Subrun, MAURITIUS

FRAILTY, THY NAME IS NOT…

Frailty, thy name is NOT woman!

Honourable Shakespeare spare me this word but one.

Of centuries repute, greatly revered bard of Avon,

With all my respects to you, Iet me simply 

Bring home to you that woman of the twenty first century,

In addition to being a housekeeper,

A sister, a daughter, a care giver,

To the children a character moulder,

She is in many households the chief bread earner.

In the role of a wife she bestows love unconditionally,

Pregnancy, with all its complications, she faces stoically.

From early dawn to dusk, the drudge ever,

From house to office she does not falter ever,

Executing the daily commitments

With love, dedication and a personal fulfilment.

With head held high, an individual of integrity,

Her mission to protect her family her priority.

No doubt the far-sighted Maharishi Dayanand

The well-wisher of one and all, being enlightened.

Maintained that there should be equal rights for women

And that there should be education of all children,

Regardless of gender

Could there be anything better?

Now active are all previously repressed talents, 

With dynamic women working in all sectors

We have scientists, astronauts, lady doctors,

Judges, lawyers, pilots, writers,

Singers, artists, and freedom fighters,

Yes, the like of Joan of Arc as warriors.

And the like of Mother Teresa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize.

In history so many influential Prime Ministers, 

To name a few, the Iron lady Margaret Thatcher,

Mrs Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, Sheik Hasina Wazed, Aquino,

Bandaranaike, Maria de Lourdes, Eugenia Charles and Benazir Bhuto.

Presidents, acting presidents and currently Chancellor Merkel

Are examples of stoic ladies, fully dedicated and not frail.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Living in an age of women empowerment.

Enhances lives of women, bringing overall improvement,

To make the world a better place,

Otherwise it would have been but a rat race

To the detriment of our civilisation,

Resulting in women leading lives in utter deprivation.

Sheer frustration, in the role of a baby making machine,

Misery, horrible to imagine.

Providing education to women, has created an awareness,

Resulting in much fewer of them in harness,

With the idea gradually cropping up, for a living,

Women, in different sectors, are now working.

Automatically, they are more awakened

To their needs and more self-disciplined.  

Attaining a freedom to unwind,

Opening to larger vistas, their mind.

They can now have a say in decision making,

Having shattered fetters, and impediments breaking,  

Boosting their confidence,

Yielding better performance,

Professionally, economically,

Socially and even culturally,

Consequently, in most relationships showing comprehension

Leading to peace and stability and satisfaction.

Briefly put, they can lead meaningful,

Purposeful

And fruitful

Lives, with self-respect,

With little to regret in retrospect.

Breathe freely in their own right

Thanks to the power of their might

To reach the dizzy height.

Becoming independent of others,

Instead, contributing to the wellbeing of others.

They can defend against exploitation,

Gain legal protection,

Against different types of harassment

Leading to gnawing embarrassment,

Thus, enabling them to establish their own identity,

Gaining respect of one and all and living with dignity.

A SPECK IN THE UNIVERSE

I, a speck in the universe,

Today, allow me to immerse in verse.

If my kind represents almost half of the global population

Why not receive my socio-economic contribution?

Without me the global economy will be affected

Without me business will be impeded.

Why not give me access to the flood gates of knowledge?

It will be such a privilege.

Nay, let me have social interaction

Break all taboos, myths and misconceptions

For a just and progressive nation.

It will bring peace and prosperity

Happiness to organizations and the family

Why not remove the obstacles on the way

Why am I amidst the minority

In the executive sector

In the technology sector

In the news media

At the beginning of this feminine era?

Realise that I shoulder more of the household burden, 

It’s high time you keep away rape, and violence my brethren!

Come thunder, lightning or rain, I don’t shirk from working,

And taking all responsibility.

I am here not only to love, to care

But also, to face challenges and to dare

To protect not only my family,

But give my humble contribution for the progress of humanity.

Pushmaotee Fowdur Subrun, was an Education Officer in Mauritius and Zimbabwe for over 45 years. Having completed her PGCE at the Mauritius Institute of Education. After her retirement, she was a member of the Council of the University of Mauritius, she is currently a Reader and Editor in the Ministry of Arts and Culture. She is the author of 3 books that include collections of her plays, stories and fables and a novel. Her poems have been featured in prestigious online literary magazines such as ‘Setu e zine’, ‘Poetry and Creativity’, ‘Atunis Poetry’ and ‘Destiny Poets’. She was a poet delegate from Mauritius at the 4^th International Multilingual Poets Meet in Vijayawada, India, in November 2018. Her multilingual poems have been featured in the Multilingual Poetry Anthology ‘Amaravati Poetic Prism 2018’ and  Atunis Galaxy Anthology- 2019.

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Women, Power & Creativity :: Setu, March 2019