Wednesday, July 1, 2020

SWAPNA BEHERA


SWAPNA BEHERA

A Bride A Mango Tree And A Bird

just in the corner of the village
a mango tree in front of my dadu’s house

it sings symphony of happenings
when the sky descends on the palms
and
the earth ascends with the twittering of the unknown birds
all seasons reflect on the leaves
all emotions are spread as shadows


every well has a history
every bride has a story

about her village that she has left
played  Holi or lit  Diwali
every saree has an emotional hash tag

a bride is a bird
twittering on a mango tree of the courtyard
may be in this village or in that city ...
life goes on ....

(dadu;- grand father
Holi and Diwali are two Indian festivals )








Don’t Shed Tears

don’t shed tears dear girls
don’t ever cry
be prepared to celebrate your woman hood
you will bleed and feed
you will pretend to be happy
you are the crisis manager dear
you will be born again and again
so why to be afraid of ?
your strength is your patience
just explore within and celebrate
you are an angel; a torchbearer
in the  darkness
you are
the trend setter
legacy of this civilisation
so celebrate this moment
to be immortal forever .......









Deciphering Acceptance

when I was a child
my granny gave me a gold necklace
with a peacock pendant
lovely it was
proud I felt with the precious gift
while playing ,
the pendant jumped closed to my heart
I could feel the subtle touch of my granny

as  a teen , many a times
I have faced  questions
how envious were my friends
ohh! the pendant  was a dancing peacock

I grew as a woman
after my marriage
with all heavy jewelleries
the pendant lost its prominent identity
after all rituals I came to my in law’s house
observed all protocols
but never took off that necklace even at night
lo behold! I became a mother
after a couple of years

today I have to sell that necklace
after the death of my husband
I became the single mother

I need money for my son’s education
I am not crying but happily said bye to the necklace
my son needs money and I need my son

after all, I deciphered the acceptance....

SWAPNA BEHERA


SWAPNA BEHERA is a bilingual contemporary poet, author, translator and editor from Odisha, India. She was a teacher from 1984 to 2015 . Her stories, poems and articles are widely published in National and International journals, and ezines, and are translated into different national and International languages. She has penned six books. She is the recipient of the Prestigious International Mother Language UGADI AWARD WINNER 2019. She was conferred upon the Prestigious International Poesis Award of Honor at the 2nd Bharat Award for Literature as Jury in 2015, The Enchanting Muse Award in India World Poetree Festival 2017, World Icon of Peace Award in 2017, and the Pentasi B World Fellow Poet in 2017.. She is the  recipient  of the Prolific Poetess Award ,The Life time Achievement Award ,The Best Planner Award ,The Sahitya Shiromani Award,ATAL BIHARI BAJPAYEE AWARD2018,AmbassadorDeLiterature Award2018 ,Global Literature Guardian Award ,International  Life Time Achievement Award and  the Master of Creative Impulse Award  .She has received the Honoured Poet of India from the Seychelles Government accredited Literary Society LLSF.Her one poem A NIGHT IN THE REFUGEE CAMP is translated into 60 languages .She is the Ambassador of Humanity by Hafrikan Prince Art World Africa 2018 and an official member of World Nation’s Writers Union, Kazakhstan2018. Italy, the National President for India by Hispanomundial Union of Writers (UHE), Peru, the administrator of several poetic groups , and the Cultural Ambassador for  India and south Asia of Inner Child Press U.S.She is the life member of Odisha Environmental Society .



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