Me Poem by Sutapa Chaudhuri

I'm the same woman
as you are
only I don't believe
in carrying a mark
taking up a forced identity
an imposed self
parasitical
surrendering my freedom
losing the self in the lonely doldrums of life
I'm the same mother
as you are
only I believe
in keeping my space
my signatures
merging my life in my daughter's
projecting my dreams, my fears
that's simply not my style
I bequeath her roots
I gift her wings too
I want her to grow
let me grow alongside, too
let us grow together but not in each others shadow
so we both shouldn't die
a stultifying death