Pilgrimmage To The Shrine Of The Goddess, Vaishnodevi (Jammu-India) Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

With a bundle of luggage on her head,
and a baby in the cradle dangling from her neck,
with folded hands worshipping and barefoot,
she was climbing up shouting: ’Victory to the Goddess’.
An old frump counting her days
With a hand on her bent back,
was crawling up crying: “ Jai Matha Di”.(Victory to the Goddess) .

We alone are the footsore pilgrims
aspiring for a magic carpet to fly to the top.
Parents were sitting on ponies
but their baby was in the hands of the pony-man.

The boys danced to the sounds of drums
to boost the morale of the tired pilgrims,
who scrambled up the mountain with frets and sweats.
My friend too danced and looked at the ladies
for sweet comments and smiles;
but the women with no festering thoughts
yelled: “Jai Matha Di” and moved up.
The long trek sapped our energy;
but the shouts to the victory of the Goddess,
flapped our wings to go up.
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