A Verse on the Daughter

This is my English translation of Mallika Sengupta's Bengali poem "Kanya Slok"

On a pre-historic morning of Ashwina,

The goddess whom Lord Rama worshipped;

The victory goddess whom the gods of heaven summoned-

To slay the demon,

When they were defeated in the battlefield;

That Goddess Durga is,

The epitome of womanhood;

Symbolizing all the women of 

twenty-first century.

May her glory thrive within all the 

women out there,

Like an everlasting fire.

Oh great woman of Earth

I salute you!

The girl whose name was Durga Soren

Her mother could no education obtain.

Fetching scholarship through

'Education For All Policy'

Durga was admitted to the English Medium School of her fantasy.

Santhali on the right,

On the left English she could represent,

Durga learnt how Emails were to be sent.

Taking advantage of numerical errors 

Durga was molested by her Maths Teacher alas!

Durga didn't know what sexual abuse was.

That  man was filthy

Didn't they understand?

Finally one day Durga,

Twisted his dirty arms 

And hit him hard.

The demi goddess striving amidst heaven and earth

As Kalpana Chawla will take rebirth.

And unless her plane crashes scattershot;

Durga will certainly become an astronaut.

My Durga is the roadside school girl,

My Durga calls me 'mother'

When danger befall.

My Durga is self-defense 

She protects her body and mind

My Durga is all flesh and blood

Born out of the womb of womankind.

My Durga is plump,

My Durga is slim.

My Durga is homely

But sometimes like a fire she gleams.

My Durga is Medha Patekar, Teesta Setalvad

My Durga is like a candle

On a new moon night dark.

My Durga walks nude

Across Manipur streets,

My Durga is hammer and sickles

At the Aus paddy fields.

My Durga had raised the Trident 

At both Heaven and Earth,

My Durga learnt to live by herself

Realized her self-worth.

Activism or Extremism

Educational penance or sacrificial work

Baking room or living room

My salutations to you oh Mother!

Crossing the hurdles or winning 

battles

Voicing for gender or class equality

My salutations to you oh mother!

In the field of riots or the holy war of Kurukshetra,

My salutations to you oh Mother!

My salutations to you oh Mother!

My salutations to you oh Mother!