"Ammaa" Mother
How many hundreds of years of continuous weeping ?
Sorrows, Fears greater that of Death itself.
Stripping of one's esteem.
History reveals the many examples
And suspiciously airs "the dirty laundry".
"May the Earth tear apart !"this call a hundred times rents the air. [ Sita ]
Abandonment to the forest and
Trials by fire.
How many times have doors been shut and bolted ?
Corpses set on fire.
How often has she been disrobed in the Halls of Justice ? [ Draupadi ]
Many are the bodies that have been torched to death. [ bride-burning ]
Many are the times when she has been auctioned off. [ dowry ]
Will the pelting of stones never cease ?
How conveniently she has been forgotten and rejected . [ Shakuntala ]
Dejected when turned away from her maternal home.
Stomped to death or drowned.
Suspecting the stir in the womb
Dangling by her own hands of death [ suicide ]
The new born girl plucked away from the mother [ female infanticide ]
Only to be cast in the waters.
Burnt in her silken raiment
When accounts were payable.
Her head to be shaved. [ widow ]
Accused of being the Cause of Sin. [the Bible}
Her ears ring with the constant refrain
"It is your fault ! It is woman's destiny !"
Forced she is to be covered in black [ purdah ]
Only to be shut away from the world.
Against her will she is bound and thrown [ the act of sati ]
On to the funeral pyre.
Subject to censure
Her state - a second class citizen.
Always to be crushed at the feet of Abuse.
Is this not her whom you call MOTHER ?
To touch and awaken this sorrow filled one [ Ahalya and Ram ]
To bring her to Light [ Magdala Mariam and Christ ]
To challenge the purity of those who accuse her
To sing her praises in public [ Lava and Kusa ]
To wipe the tears off her face
Will a child be born ? [ Krishna ]
And before his coming
Glowing like the Flames of Final Dissolution
With a gleaming smile
Pointing a tender finger at the Accuser
Will there be the GIRL - Incarnate of Fury [ Vishnumaya ]
Who will escape the hands of the Abuser
Standing before him, erect.