Dr Jyothsnaphanija profiles a compassionate principal in this verse – exclusively for Different Truths.
If I think of her now, I see her as A strict and compassionate principal of a school or College for girls who come in bright uniforms, silky smiles And radiance in voices as softer rain equal to the sister’s voice, Learning sisterhood in reality. “Sister, can you write in our language?” Mother language teacher asked. I heard her reading Telugu poems with such effortlessness During my graduation days. “Sister, if I have to ask 1 question, That would be how many years you took to learn to speak our language? To write with your Malayalam syllables guiding?” Our language in her child-like voice Is fair snow on the new arrival. She told me once, “count on all your appreciation.” The other day she said, “never feel defeated, my younger one.” Now I understand She would have thought, “what will I do here if I don’t know how they speak?” Having our language on her tuning fingers, She showed me The greatness of being a part of this world.
Glossary:
- Telugu: a language that’s spoken in Andhra Pradesh, India
- Malayalam: a language spoken in Kerala, India.
Picture design by Anumita Roy
Dr Jyothsnaphanija teaches English Literature at ARSD College (University of Delhi), India. Her first poetry collection Ceramic Evening was published in 2016. Her poems most recently have appeared and are forthcoming in The Handy, Uncapped Pen, Wishbone Words, The Hopper, Bosphorus Review of Books and others.
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