Her world collapsed all too sudden.
The ground she stood wobbled below.
Her dreams crashed down like pack of cards
Death robbed the man, she wed days before
No more a bride in dazzling silk.
Never shall she be bedecked-
In brocades, jewels or gems.
Never her hand, be held in love.
No more shall she be the former Rajput bride
Now a widow shunned and abhorred by men
With tonsured head, so ugly to view
Cursed and doomed in the eyes of all.
A stigma, scorned and borne in shame
A defenseless bird with clipped wings,
Destined to languish within a cage
Never shall she see again the outer world.
Fore warned to keep out even from the kindred folk.
Alas! She preferred Death to Life
Gave her consent, free of pressure,
To immolate herself in blazing fire!
Be another Sita to walk through fire
x x x x x x
Blank she stared at the crowd in front,
Gathered to witness an awful scene
They were at her bridal feast.
They partook merrily of the gala feast.
With goblets held in raised hands,
They had wished her all bliss in life.
The same crowd remained in hushed lull,
With suspense pounding their hearts quicker,
Eager to see the drama - Act by Act,
Having watched the prelude to that tragic tale.
The High Priest performed his trite rites,
With incantations breaking the silence still.
The air around smelt of incense burnt.
And curls of smoke shot up to the sky
Like a statue carved from rock
Dumb she remained, she hardly stirred
Her legs were bound to a log of wood
Her hands, held tight behind her back
Before she knew what was next,
They pushed her down to the funeral pyre.
The flames of fire leaped above
And sucked her out with greedy tongues
x x x x x x
The crowd disbursed with slogans loud
They rejoiced over a new Deity made!
Well descriptive and reformational. So nicely and wisely depicted. Thannks for posting such impressive poem. ...... 10
Gruesome Sati - the curse of India reformers have tirelessly fought - poignantly described.
must be frightening to be a women and be around during those barbaric times thanks Valsa
A poignant piece of poetry dear madam! I feel the third line as the epitome of this poem! Top score
The crowd witnessing any incident however serious will eventually disperse with or without slogans of no practical value. Here also the naturality has been depicted by the learned poetess. Thank you
This piece of excellence also heroizes the writer, it deifies the writer too. It's not everyday that one comes across a poem with careful dispensation of its actual meaning without interruption somewhere between lines, without marking a sharp break in sense, somewhere, and seemingly disengaging its audience. Here, my noble poetess took meaning on and on alongside elegance of words as usual. Hail, O Queen of my Poetry World. This is as great as others. Viva forever!
Chukwuma, you just blew me away with your comments. I am humbled and amazed. I feel the same or more about your writing too! I wonder how you can appreciate my simple and straight lines so much! You have deified me and I feel rather nervous at the thought that how much less I deserve in reality! Just a 'Thank you' is not enough! But thank you and thank you! !
I wish those things shouldn't have been happened at all. But that what it was, thanks for such emotional poem, Valsa.
Her world collasped all too sudden! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Social reformers had to fight for a long time to stop the cruel tradition. Thanks God it is no more heard. But your poem is really impressive.