Three Women Poem by Daniel Trevelyn Joseph

On vehicles at dusk
In vibrant Ahmedabad.

One is behind her husband
With her child in arms
A little ahead on the road
I can see sideways only
The edge of her right cheek:
Cant see it, but she is smiling, I know.
What is it about the cheekbone and muscle
That indicates the smile
I can't pinpoint, not being a painter!

Next, with headlights on is a car
Coming towards us
On this narrow road,
And with cars parked on either side
Without any gap.
This car is coming slowly
And as it crosses ours
I see the fair, young and shapely girl
Driving the car rigidly
But quite conscious
That nobody blames such a driver!

The third I see, young and demure,
Behnid her husban, on a scooter.
Stopping at signal
He turns full back to her
And talk to her pretty eyes
Fully concentrated on him.
She shakes her head up and down
In silent admiring approval
Like a lovely doll
Every few minutes
At irregular intervals, till it turns green.

It is a pleasure to see young women
Tagging along, feeding the ego of men
Preparing themselves to take on,
And order around old men
Which their husbands soon will be!