From a girl child….
A humble dedication from me to all the girl children of the world who face the ignominy of gender discrimination.
You tell me I was born
Very near midnight
When there was no light
On a very dark night.
Is it my fault
I was born at night??
Tell me Mother
Doesn’t day follow night??
The ink I spilt
Makes you so angry
When it is your son
You are never unhappy.
The frowns are for me,
The smiles are for him.
Why not spare a smile
For me too, Mother??
He’ll take care of you
You always tell me.
I wash the clothes
And vessels too, Mother.
When your back aches
You call me, to your side
To rub it for you
Not your son, Mother.
You tell me I am a girl
Nothing but a girl
Is it my mistake
Aren’t you one, Mother??
Love lights up your eyes
When your son you espy
Am I not your child
Just as him, Mother??
Will I ever see
Your eyes shine for me
Or is it my fate
To see only hate??
Mother, they say
Is an endless sea of love
Is it my destiny
Never to swim that sea??
- Shail Mohan (2007)
Touched..
Hi Shail, this poem will be true in many families, how sad a mother would treat a daughter like that. Same thing happens when they seek dowries and mother-in-law and daughter-in-laws abuse the women, instead of supporting her. The suffering women don’t have to worry, they may suffer now but God will take care of them, while those who make them suffer will suffer in due course many times. Congrats for the new blog site. Well done. Cheers.
“It Pains”
Although all of us take pride in our Indian Culture, we need to recognize that there is something fundamentally wrong with a culture that assumes the superiority of males and that celebrates Indian women for being meek, submissive and sacrificial. One way you can help counter this mindset is by being proud of the women in your life, and by taking pride in yourself if you are a women.
A thought provoking post, Shail Mam.
Samvit: Thank you!
Chris: Yeah it is a wonder how a mother can treat her own child this way not to speak of the problems a woman faces as a daughter-in-law too. Thanks for the wishes and I am really glad you took the time out to visit me here!
Vikram: A culture that ‘celebrates Indian women for being meek, submissive and sacrificial’ You have put it in a nutshell. This is so much ingrained in the psyche of women that anything otherwise makes the men see red and make the women themselves feel guilty!! I agree with the ‘being proud of the women in your life‘ and ‘taking pride in yourself if you are a woman‘ you speak of.