ADYASHA MAHAPATRA
If I simply had decided not to
Walk into the depths of fire to substantiate my divinity,
What would have happened?
Plot twist to the great epic- THE RAMAYANA?
Well, that discussion is for some other day.
Today it’s about the contemporary version of me
Who decided not to jump into the volcano.
Who, after rising from the ashes like a phoenix,
decided to burn the entire lanka-like devilish society myself
Not like the powerful magical ape, but like a dragon.
Funny how no one ever needed an official qualification
To be a judge.
From the Earth’s womb, to my father’s abode
To my husband’s extravagant palace.
I got conjectured as a harlot, an egocentric,
And dishonourable.
They hypothesised more than they could.
And at times, were joined by my father, sometimes by my husband.
But this ode brings up a question.
You wrinkle your forehead, when he holds my hand.
Where did your concise go, when I,
was being tortured by demon like figures in the dead of night?
Your lunacy made you scrutinise me
And the Sitas before me.
As if I were a crafty puppet, serving your sore eyes,
But self-acceptance is not what I need,
It’s what you must be egregiously crying out for.
Times changed, So did the circumstances,
But some things never changed, they remain just as before.
No. I ain’t talking about your judgemental psych.
I’m talking about my dignity, my divinity
My love, my hatred
My Self-respect, my self-reliance
My passion, my compassion
My heart, my mind, my soul.
Me. Myself.
But I still wonder deep within
If I simply had decided not to
Walk into the bed of fire to signify my divinity,
What would have happened?
That discussion is for some other day.