|
 Saroj
Thakur is Asst. Professor in English at National Institute of
Technology, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. Apart from Doctorate in
English Literature she has Masters Degree in Sociology and Hindi
Literature securing a First class. She has interests in writing
poetry, blogging, painting and all creative arts. A keen
academician she has many research publications, both National
and International to her credit.
The Faustian Souls
Don't shy away,
And look elsewhere,
I won't question the
Motives and fears
That made you
Turn against me!
But I honestly think
And wonder aloud
What made you
Behave the way you did?
Was it greed?
Pressure or fear?
That made you plead
Proclaim and swear
Statement full of falsehood?
Surprised and shocked
At names that unrolled
Years of togetherness
Of pain and happiness.
The moments of raptures
And unshed tears
Spent together!
Dear friends and colleagues
I don't question
The motives and fears
That made you glare
An accusing eye
A pointing finger
At one who still
Craves for your wellbeing
And quiver at
The weight of burden
That your Faustian souls
Might be
Shuddering under!
Why do I hurt her?
Why do I hurt her?
By words gestures
Using sarcasm and jeer
Bring out precious tears
From her dreamy eyes
Where her pain lies
Open and wounded
Giving away the view of
Her soul trampled and injured.
Do I love making her weep.
Cry and sob and whimper
For my care, hug and pat
To be comforted
In a warm embrace?
I play indifferent
Put a mask of aloofness
Put aside my face
To hide the wetness
On my cheeks
That my tears unashamedly
Speak and foretell
My pain and grief
At hurting my own child?
I want to save you from hurt
Pain and disgrace
Hurled by others
Who would in name of love
Make you see break down
And would regale
In the ego and supremacy
Of an egoistic male.
I want you to toughen up
From outside and inside
To take the world
Cruel and apathetic
In your stride.
Because as your mother
I can see the frailty
Defenselessness
And vulnerability
That awaits you
My daughter!
We the Women…
Attired in a Black Saree
With red border galore
Swiftly I walked past
Space open and vast.
Where the labour force
The humming machines
The crying kids
The sleeping infants
Worked together
To make our world
Still better.
A feeding mother
With a baby at her breast
Had at last
Some respite
And some rest
From the repetitive
Tiring job
Of carrying earth
And sifting stones
Where her toddlers
Played in joy and mirth.
Her look pierced me
My whole being
Was it envy
Writ large
On her face for me?
She envied my freedom
My effervescent smile
And a confident talk
An aura of energy
Abundantly released
To add to my gait
A charm and confidence.
Her dreamy eyes
Held a dream
Still unfulfilled!
Was I so happy
Blissful and content
As my swift walk
Effervescent talk
A warm smile
Projected to an eye
That could barely see
The woman inside
The tough exterior
Weak
Crumbling and in
Shambles.
I had so much to hide
The fake mask
The put on smile
Made me to seem brave and virile
But she was the one
Who had no demarcation
Between the real
And the fake
And together we both
Constitute a world
That we the women
Alone could see and take!
|
