Signs of Motherhood
Dark, rough fingers held her face,
Wiped her tired eyes,
They snuggled close
He, a man, and she, a woman
The nameless yellow taxi-a most beautiful first home.
Five years, or was it six since...
Sometimes, lying on bed she tried
To remember her face
Ran her finger across her jawline, her cheeks
There were pictures, no doubt, of her and her child,
Several of them. Beautiful f rames.
A mother is always beautiful, you know.
The mirror told a different tale
The contours of her body slumped
Proud suckling breasts, rested heavily against her ribs.
The evenings, were beautiful … mesmerized
Hours rushed by, she ran back from the evening ball
And left no shoe behind
No Prince came looking for her
For she was a mother, to common knowledge
And the signs of motherhood were there..
For all to see.
The soil of the 'Nishidhdho
Polli' or red light area is a
mandatory ingredient for
sculpting the idol. The
tradition dates back to
'Akalbodhan' when Lord
Rama, to make Devi
Durga's idol, had taken
the soil from a prostitute's
home.
(Arunava Patra Photography)
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