Proud To Be A Woman Always! Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

Clad in a sari washed over and over again
with a red smear of vermilion on her forehead
adhering to rituals day after day,
ringing bells, praying in the mornings
reciting mantras in murmurs
worshiping Gods and seeking blessings
also adoring her husband silently
cooking for him, rearing his children;
sweeping away the mango leaves
in her backyard, lighting fire to the heap
to ward off insects and the mosquitoes
as the evening sets in...
and tea-break commences
so does her gossip
as women of the neighborhood
gather around her to hear her blabber
and amuse themselves;
she feels empowered to be a woman
though she has no education
she still breeds and feeds her generations;
can a woman be ever any different
even if she is tribal or rich?
even if she is literate or poor?
Yet, a mother, yet a wife….
a birth-giver she will always be,
as in her lap have grown civilizations
so endlessly……