1. A village lass newly married worked
as a maid
In a posh house in a big
crowded town;
She felt herself a
stranger unknown
By sheer fortune in workers’ quarters,
she stayed.
2
Her name means a pure white bloom, yet
Like moon hid in clouds she doth seem
A half-burnt wick of flame feeble and
dim;
She worked hard from sunrise to sunset.
3. A slender young woman with complexion
fair
Wearing a patched saree moving
from door to door
Scrubbing vessels and cleaning the floor.
She spent her time never complaining of her cares.
4. Though other servants did distance maintain
She knew her humble roots
and worked a lot;
She tried to mingle with
them and share her thoughts
Helping them unsought
with no sense of gain.
5. She tried to fit in with others as
best as she could
She lived within her
meagre means and did not waste
A single pie and never
spent in haste
Her life riddled with problems seemed a pathless wood.
6. Patiently she bore rich people’s
insults and taunts
Though she was treated
harsh she kept her poise
Though meagre returns
paid, she never raised her voice.
Restrained by her poor state and unfulfilled
wants.
7. Thrown off like a burden by her
parents poor
Married off to a lazy
drunkard rude
She slogged like a slave,
no time to brood
For her growing troubles
she found no cure.
8. Her husband snatched away whatever
she brought
And drank away and family
he never cared;
Her entreaties he never
listened but angrily glared
Using his brutal might her
words he cared not.
9. In his craze for a male child, he
harassed his wife
Though burdened with two
girls he still did aspire
Consulting a temple
priest to quench his desire
Blind beliefs create
unnecessary strife.
10. His stubborn ways without forethought
brought
His whole family down to
this sorry state
For his grievous,
superstitions, cruel fate
Made his poor family
suffer a lot.
11. He cursed his stars when fate did
otherwise decide
Now burdened with three girls he saw his
future lost
Immersed in drink he breathed his last
Collapsing like a
wretched dog by wayside.
12 His wife now alone with a large family left
Found no succor from in-laws and none to
request
Neighbors shunned her sight and treated
her like a pest
No properties she got but mounting debts.
13. In spite of hurdles and hardships she tried
To survive- no use she thought to weep
and fret
Her children’s future she did not
neglect
She taught them to work hard and by
rules abide.
14. Know your status and means; act not in haste;
Female or male – all are equal to God.
Why crave for male kids? Beware of blind faith and fraud
Egoistic acts disturb our happy domestic
state.
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