What it is to be a woman! Dr Molly describes their struggles, exclusively for Different Truths

Not overlooking
the denial of space
for women,
the atrocities against her,
the taken-for-granted attitude...

leaving aside the
feminist clamours for
equality, freedom at midnight
and the treatment of maternity as a
vulnerable ground of subjugation...

let me valorise
womanhood, womanism,
her womanist privileging point
being ‘maternity’
how she rises above all equation
level with man,
superior and unique, fostering life,
nature… she the creative principle of life...

let me dwell on
the average plight of
the rural women
I come across in
everyday life...

How times have fleeted fast
bringing changes
in human lives… 
but pity! the average rural woman 
still bears the brunt
that started with
patriarchal yokes…

The average working woman
be it as a maid,
manual labourer
at land or building sites
or be it the educated one
struggling hard,
balancing her work and life...

Expectations galore pile upon her...

her life is one of 
taking orders,
running her family,
working, earning
cooking, cleaning up
keeping her twenty-four-hour alert,
or a family that devours...

She the prop and support
of a world that squeezes out,
her time, energy.
be it Covid times or not 
in her lie the onus
of filling up empty
stomachs,
she walks miles afar to
bring potful of water...

while their men rest or relax
or wander aimless,
they run around, these women 
searching for work
to make both ends meet...

Some sots, their husbands
extracting their 
hard earned money
return boozed 
with drinks
just to beat them up...

the poor wife
tapering out
her health and peace of mind…

wonder if social norms change,
not to take the average rural woman
for granted,
her life not to be trodden up on
so rough and harsh,
killing herself, zest to live...

Yet they pull on
these women,
for their kids, family, 
for the hungry bird mouths, chirping,
for the aged parents waiting...

Picture design by Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Dr. Molly Joseph

Dr Molly Joseph, a bilingual professor and poet from Kerala, has published 26 books, including 18 poems, two novels, and two storybooks for children. She has edited “A Handbook of Contemporary Ethics” and works for values, global peace, and togetherness. Dr Joseph has won national and international accolades and represents India at SAARC and FOSWAL literature meets. She believes in the power of the word and writes boldly on contemporary matters.