Poetry: Usha Mujoo Munshi

Usha Mujoo Munshi

In Search of My Identity

Did I lose the way I was,

Or did the world reshape my cause?

Did I trade my roots for flight,

Or did I drift without a fight?

Did I change the attire I knew,

The colours faded, the stitches new?

Did my mother tongue turn weak,

Replaced by words I barely speak?

Did I forget what filled my plate,

The flavours rich, the stories great?

Did the assorted greens once mine,

Slip away like passing time?

Did the cheer and chatter fade to hush,

Did rituals slow in modern rush?

Or did I step too far ahead,

Leaving echoes of what was said?

Did all this change too fast, too soon,

A fleeting sun, a shadowed moon?

Do I like the change? I ask—

Or does nostalgia weave its mask?

Who is to blame—was it me?

Or tides that shaped my destiny?

Do I seek or let it be—

Or is the search itself… still me?

***

Vitasta – The Heartbeat of Kashmir

From the womb of Verinag’s spring so pure,

You rise, O Vitasta, with grace demure.

A silver thread through the vale you weave,

A mother’s embrace, a sigh of reprieve.

Through Srinagar’s heart, your waters glide,

A witness to history, a valley’s pride.

Temples and shrines kneel by your shore,

Singing the hymns of a time before.

You whisper the tales of sages wise,

Of Parvati’s blessing in sacred guise.

A touch of your waves—sins are undone,

A dip in your arms, and heaven is won.

O goddess, O river, your flow once free,

Now tainted by man’s cruel decree.

Your depths have shrunk, your song grown weak,

Yet still, in your ripples, the lost past speaks.

Through battle and flood, through love and despair,

You cradle the dreams that Kashmiris bear.

Vyath or Jhelum, your name may change,

But your spirit, O river, will never estrange.

Eternal winter brought us no respite,

Now spring is seen, dusk too has light.

O Vitasta divine, we bow in prayer,

May your waters forever run fair.

May your purity rise, your beauty restore,

May you bless this land forevermore.

Hail Maa Vitasta—the soul of Kashmir,

In whose eternal flow divinity is near.

***

Bio: Former President, Information and Communication Society of India, and a distinguished Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Munshi has been a pioneering voice in the digital transformation of knowledge. Currently associated with the India International Centre, she has led landmark initiatives in digital libraries, open access, and e-research long before they became global movements. Recipient of several national and international honours — including the rare Directeur d’Études Associé distinction from FMSH, France — she has authored numerous books and over 165 research publications. Widely travelled and deeply engaged with the world of ideas, Dr. Munshi continues to weave together the realms of science, culture, and creativity through her lectures, writings, and intellectual pursuits. Her acclaimed poems are included in several anthologies including Sahitya Academy.

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Setu, November 2025