An evocative, gender-centric poem, by Parvathy, exclusively for Different Truths.

How do women set my writing on flame?
When most of them are afraid of fire!
When most of them turn to ashes,
the time they are living as living specimens.

When many of them, I have known near
have irreparably set damage on me
As though, I too should fear the fire.
And keep cold, near to the man they propose
Yet again, a few men have been so.

When she loved the hibiscus in the yard
Though red roses –
would crown her like a queen
and the thorns,
did make her blood hot.

The pain a porcupine would give,
but effortless giving it was
so was the love she knew
that filled her mind and body,
with no due respect.

Because she is a woman
The woman –
made by the woman around
And who did propose her man to her
And ever did her blood run cold.

Yet, she gave the longing
and her eyes sparkled
Like a shining star –
twinkling, twinkling, and twinkling,
and it was the hope of the coming years.

Visual by Different Truths

Parvathy Ramachandran

Parvathy Ramachandran is a writer and an academician. She started her career as a teacher at Al Noor International School, Bahrain, before she joined TKMM College, Nangiyarkulangara as Assistant Professor of English. She has also served Sree Narayana College for Women, Kollam. Parvathy’s fields of interest include poetry, short fiction, Transcultural studies, Gender studies, etc. She has presented papers national and international seminars. She published her debut anthology of poems, Late Night Lantern