Pankhuri pays obeisance to Goddess Kali, worshipped on Diwali, reminding us of the humane and kind acts that she would enquire from us. An exclusive Special Feature for Different Truths.
This Kali Puja, the Goddess is going to come Knocking at your door! Just as you will be getting ready For the festive décor, fun and frolic Serving festival food Lighting up candles, setting fire to crackers Waiting to burst with amusement And joy, the Goddess is going to ask you To think of all around you The birds’ nest in the trees And the trees, the sky above The creatures below, the dogs around Running in fear, out in the streets Looking for shelter Looking desperately for a place to hide A corner safe, where fire won’t reach! The Goddess is going to come Knocking at your door Asking you to think of the child Standing next to you Whose thinking you are to shape Tonight, and the next day Will you tell him About the love of nature Your environmental concerns Bordering on anxiety As you exit, dreams alight Embarking on vehicle Eager to chase, pursue, realise All the energy, festival aroma Choking in smoke, dust, fog, haze Every step of the way The Goddess will ask you About your environmental activism Your efforts to save this planet Even, the inclusion of your child In it, this war, of survival For the betterment of all This Universe, will you make it For the fittest only? Or will you inculcate Kindness, compassion In your child and yourself? The Goddess will ask you If you will also tell your child About her? The embodiment of female power Incarnation of Devi Durga Standing guard on the broad chest of Shiva The Lord, since ages, residing on the Lofty Himalayas, with Parvati His consort, creator of Kali Who completes the Trinity, Of female prowess With Ma Tara, benevolent Protecting force of life Who would take up Any weapon to safeguard Beauty, innocent and pristine Representing the realm of God The good and the godly Killing the evil doers Wearing a necklace of demon heads Disciples of Narkasur The demon leader making troubles After pleasing Shiva! Shankar, the peacemaker, Lied down in Kali’s path Once enough evil was destroyed! And the stream of blood Threatened all! This Kali Puja, the Goddess will Remind you if you remember Narkasura? Narka Chaturdashi? As you worship, the Neelkanth Bearing the angry Goddess Containing the wrath of the struggle The Goddess will ask you If you thought about the lonely The widows, the orphans Desolate desert dwellers Soldiers and hookers? Did you send them a token of love? And to all around you The speechless, the numb? This Kali Puja, the Goddess will Knock at your door!
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Pankhuri Sinha is a bilingual Indian poet and writer. Ten anthologies published, other than many journals, anthologies, home and abroad. Won many prestigious, national-international awards, including the Seemapuri Times Rajeev Gandhi Excellence award, awards in Chekhov festival in Yalta and in Premio Besio Poetry competition in Italy, Sahitto award in Bangladesh, and Premio Galateo in Italy for poetry in mother tongue. Also, awarded by Albania, Nigeria, Romania, etc. Translated in 26 languages.
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Lovely about your poem Dear Pankhuri, especially for your concern for “asking you to think of the child standing next to you” .
Nice poem kindling societal commitments. Let knock the souls of our fellow persons and make awareness about children, women, workers and all marginalized sections of people. All the Best.