An ode to her

The Sun rises after she rose, and then begins a battle with questions and perceptions, 

If only ambitions and dreams can be neatly packed like those lunch boxes.

While the scriptures of yore ordained respect for women, 

there was a shrill echo all around - "Respect? there shall be none."  

With or without the support of the near and dear, 

inch by inch, spaces were carved and niches were made.

Somewhere, A Satyabhama slew Narakasur, a Joan of Arc shook the British,

Elsewhere, A Mother Theresa served the poor, a Sudha Murthy taught and wrote with flourish.

 

Yet some other place, she remains unknown, a synonym of sacrifice from start to finish. 

Ignorant of the dumb stereotypes laid by dumber people all around her; she multitasks as a silent witness.

What noble thoughts emerge from her selfless mind, what great deeds are made by her everyday -

The words of the greatest poets couldn't fathom the depths of such love and affection, in any way!

 

Poem - "An ode to her" - on the eve of International Women's Day 2021 -  Not surprisingly, the idea of an International Women's day has a global and leftist origin. At the dawn of the 20eth Century, it was the German delegates at a Socialist conference in USA who first proposed such an idea. Later, when USSR proclaimed and issued voting rights to women, the idea caught up as a concrete celebration. After the rise of the feminist movement in 1960s, in 1977, UN started celebrating March 8th as International Women's day. For the year 2021, the official theme of the event is 'Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World.' The Governments of India and Andhra Pradesh took a slew of measures towards that lofty goal of Women Empowerment, still a distant dream, one that hinges on perception as well as ground reality. 

Maheeth Veluvali,

Monday, 8th of March, 2021, 

16 Saladi Jamindar Street, Palakollu.