MOLLY JOSEPH

MOLLY JOSEPH

O,  KENYA !

I  sit, I see, I listen..

.  .. .... ..... ...

Under shadowy

tree canopy

where

light plays

hide and seek

where

a gentle wind

caresses

your cheek

I sit

I see....

I listen...

O, Kenya !

thy faces, voices

tell tale

signs

of century's

exploit,

woe begotten

oppression...

how long can

voices be

muffled?

No...

they speak

their tongue,

sing their song

strut and trot

their

primitive  number...

resisting

the langue,

cult inflicted on,

asserting

the indigenous..

the resilience

of a ball

rising up

after a fall....

I sit

I see

I listen..

the volting up

voice

of humanity...

craving for

recognition,

acceptance,

justice,

above all

understanding...

folks..

I sit, I see

I listen..

LIFE MATTERS

Life matters...

even in those dull moments

that inch on in repeat

in routine smiles, empty greetings

in  your flurried run of life..

Life matters..

in the monotone of refrains

that resist meanings,

you console yourself,

the coffee was bitter, but it was hot, saving you from mounting stress..

Life matters..

you scramble the lines

you started, that ended nowhere,

where was the favourite

book you kept

to make it doubly secure..?

Life matters..

file holders flash mixing up,

Your PC and browser play gimmick,

the  submission deadline stares...

Life matters..

You reach your fridge, open and wait

for Buddha to dawn

what was it you wanted to get,

to whet an appetite so strong?

Life matters..

days wax and wane over,

the the bright and dark

waves of time..

so too your limited hours,

mind, the mountain roe

runs amok,

catching loose ends to hold..

BETWEEN THE EYE BROWS

recalcitrant

stand

compulsions

the winds

that whisper

camouflaged...

you notice it

in reluctant

nods while

at  breakfast

table

the plate away

from you,

taking time

to reach you....

your cup

hesitant

to reach you...

your query

unanswered..

no, nothing

can hamper

a will  so

strong

a mind

the  witness

that seeks

the  sight

between

eyebrows,

with a third

eye view..

nothing

out beats

your

let go,

graceful

giving up

your

forgiving

butter like

blending

with kindness..

forgetting

hurts

forced

on you,

love

flows from

within....

you the

rock piece

in water

not   meddling,

stirring

the waters..

just watching

a witness..

YOU BECOME A WOMAN

You become a woman

 not by birth, but

when you grow into    

 the frames they          

 have built for you

You become a woman

when you menstruate

and emerge purer

to foster the future       

and turn your life blood

into sweet white milk

to sustain a new life

strong, immune,

which no man

can ever dream to do..

You become a woman

  when, you push aside

 your private joys, dreams      

 into tucked in corners

and hide them in your

 eyes, smiles  and wait..         

     

the small canoe

tied to the shore    

floating in water...

You become a woman

  when you stand

  before your mirror

 and cry your heart out

 and beg, your stream lined

 face to grow strong

 grow bold...

You become a woman when

 forgetting all flaws

you love and love

and grow unconditional...

when, beyond  closed doors

you fight alone

your own private battles

with only the walls

and wardrobe

as witness in silence.

MOLLY JOSEPH

Dr.MOLLY JOSEPH, ( M.A., M.Phil., PGDTE, EFLU,Hyderabad) had her Doctorate in post war American poetry. She retired as the H.O.D., Department of English, St.Xavier's College, Aluva, Kerala, and now works as Professor, Communicative English  at FISAT, Kerala. She is an active member of GIEWEC (Guild of English writers Editors and Critics) She writes travelogues, poems and short stories. She has published five books of poems - Aching Melodies, December Dews, Autumn Leaves, Myna's Musings and Firefly Flickers and a translation of a Malayalam novel Hidumbi. She is a poet columnist in Spill Words, the international Online Journal. She has been awarded Pratibha Samarppanam by Kerala State Pensioners Union,  Kala Prathibha by Chithrasala Film Society, Kerala  and  Prathibha Puraskaram by Aksharasthree, Malayalam group of poets, Kerala,  in 2018 . Dr.Molly Joseph has been conferred  Poiesis Award of Honour  as one of the International Juries in the international award ceremonies conducted by Poiesis Online.com at Bangalore on May 20th, 2018. Her two new books were released at the reputed KISTRECH international Festival of Poetry in Kenya conducted at KISII University by the Deputy Ambassador of Israel His Excellency Eyal David. Dr. Molly Joseph has been honoured at various literary fest held at Guntur, Amaravathi, Mumbai and Chennai.